Addicted
by HeartNimbus
Summary: The crunching of leaves caused her to look up. A blackened house loomed in the distance- The Hale House she realized absently. It was dark and broken- a shadow of something that was once beautiful. Her cobalt eyes were drawn to the imposing figure that knelt beside her gracefully- he was just like the blackened house... cold, broken and oh so empty. [Derek/OC]
1. Wolf Moon

**AN: I started this fanfiction a little over seven months ago, and as much as I adore it, it needs to be rewritten. Honestly when I wrote this I was delirious for half of it and over-tired for the other half. I found that when I read back on it, I was really disappointed with how the chapters had turned out. So I hope you enjoy this version, because personally, I like it much, much better.**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Teen Wolf, that honor belongs to Jeff Davis. However, Sarah belongs to me.**

* * *

**Addicted**

**Chapter One**

**Wolf Moon**

* * *

The last thing sixteen-year-old Sarah McCall expected as she crawled into bed the night before her sophomore year of High School was to be woken up by her agitated twin brother at two AM in the morning. Especially when the wake-up call involved his large hand covering her mouth effectively muting any chances of screaming her head off in a justified and quite girly manner. In a move that any respectable five-year-old would be proud of she licked his hand causing him to grimace and pull his hand away.

"What the hell is your problem?" She whispered angrily as she wiped her lips and sat up in her queen-sized bed.

"I think there's somebody in the house." Scott responded tightly.

The brunette nodded, all traces of anger at her brother evaporating as she took in his tense demeanor and the stainless steel bat in his hand. No one in their family played baseball, however Melissa, their mother, disapproved of all things gun related (Except for when the police were involved) and so, they'd gotten a nice sturdy, reliable baseball bat.

Scott grasped her hand tightly and pulled his younger sister (by eleven minutes and twenty-nine seconds) smoothly out of bed. Sarah hissed as her bare feet hit the cold floor, and smiled as her twin handed her a pair of uggboots. Slipping her feet into the fluffy warmth of the boots she followed Scott closely as he held the bat aloft and stealthily walked down the stairs, stopping at the front door he pulled it open swiftly cringing at the slight creak of the door.

"Stay behind me." Scott mouthed and she nodded. He'd been her protector from a young age, stepping into the role that their father had abandoned seven years after they were born. As it turned out, Andrew had wanted a son, but not a daughter. She'd learned that particular bit of information the hard way when Scott came home in a towering rage after living with the man for six months. He'd refused to talk about exactly what Andrew had said to him, except to say that they were better off without him in their lives. It had taken their Mom sitting her down and explaining that no, there wasn't anything wrong with her and yes, she'd always, _always_ love her, no matter what happened, for her to accept that it wasn't her fault that he'd left.

The brunette was jarred out of her thoughts as Scott stopped suddenly in front of her causing her to walk into his back sending him tumbling forwards. He hit the deck with a loud thump as the bat clattered on the wood in front of him.

"Shit Scott!" Sarah swore as she bent down to help him up. Scott picked up the bat with his free and grasped her hand firmly with the other. With a small heave the slightly shorter brunette pulled him upright. A loud crack echoed in their ears as a vine fell from the climbing garden at the edge of the porch, Sarah jumped back, a scream falling from her lips as she came face to face with Stiles Stilinski. The brown-haired boy was tenuously hanging upside down- he'd hooked his legs over a thick branch further up and he was praying that said branch would stay exactly were it was with his added body weight. Stiles grinned sheepishly before yelling in shock as Scott reflexively swung the silver bat towards him, narrowly missing his head.

"Stiles!" Scott yelped as he dropped the bat, letting it hang at his side. He'd almost clobbered his best friend! "What the hell are you doing?"

"Neither of you were answering your phones!"

"It's two AM!" Sarah screeched, angry with the older boy for disturbing her last proper sleep before school.

"Why do you have a bat?" Stiles continued hysterically.

Scott glared at him and gestured towards his twin. "I thought you were a predator!"

"A what?" Stiles looked confused at the thought of him being considered a 'predator'. Glancing at his female best friend's sleeping attire his mouth formed a small 'o' before he continued. "Look I know it's late guys but you've got to hear this. I saw my Dad leave twenty minutes ago. Dispatch called, they're bringing in every officer from the Beacon Hills department and even the State police."

"For what?" The brunette girl asked curiously, her interest peaked by Stiles' tale.

He turned to her and smirked "Two joggers found a body in the woods." He flipped upside down and jumped to the ground, expertly landing on his feet.

"A dead body?" Scott asked curiously.

Sarah smacked him upside the back of his head as Stiles answered. "No a body of water. Yes dumbass a dead body."

The shorter boy vaulted onto the deck.

"You mean like murdered." Scott asked again.

"Nobody knows yet. Just that it was a girl. Probably in her twenties."

"Hold on." She held up her hand. "If they found the body then what are they looking for." Sarah questioned.

"That's the best part. They only found half." Stiles grinned bouncing on the balls of his feet. He stared at the two expectantly, "We're so going."

* * *

"Are we seriously doing this? Because you know, now that we're here, this doesn't seem like such a good idea." Sarah muttered as Stiles practically lifted her out of the jeep in his haste to find the body.

"Honestly Sare, you're the one always bitching that nothing ever happens in this town!" Scott responded wryly as he linked their arms together.

The brunette scowled. "I think you'll find that the one bitching is Eri. Personally I'm quite happy with Beacon Hill's suffocating normalness."

Stiles laughed loudly. "She has a point there, Scotty."

"She's going to be furious that she missed this." Scott wheezed, his asthma flaring as they traipsed through the reserve. "You know what? I'm beginning to agree with Sare. This was a bad idea."

"Oh don't be such a baby." Stiles snapped as he raced ahead.

"I was trying to get a good nights sleep before practice tomorrow." Scott whined as he pulled his twin along after Stiles.

"Right." He called back to his friends. "Cause sitting on the bench is such a grueling effort."

Sarah smothered a laugh. Scott had been benched since their freshman year, his asthma preventing him from being able to last a whole game, and in typical Coach Finstock style, this translated into Scott being a crash-test dummy in practices.

"No, because I'm playing this year." Her brother replied annoyed. "In fact, I'm making first line!"

"Hey, that's the spirit!" Stiles responded happily, as he bounced along the trail. "Everyone should have a dream, even a pathetically unrealistic one!"

Sarah snickered as Scott shot them both a glare. "Ha ha."

"Um just out of curiosity what half of the body are we looking for?" Sarah asked, steering the topic safely away from Scott's lack of skill at Lacrosse.

"Huh. I didn't even think about that."

Scott spoke up, his spine tingling as he realized something else. "And uh, what if the thing that killed her is still out here?"

"Also something I didn't think about." Stiles replied sheepishly.

Sarah groaned loudly. "It is so encouraging that you've planned this little expedition with your _usual _attention to detail!"

The twins paused as Scott gasped loudly and took a puff of his inhaler. "Maybe the severe asthmatic should be the one holding the flashlight, yeah?"

Stiles waved his hand dismissively as he easily climbed an embankment only to slip and fall flat on his face as he reached the top. Sarah smirked at her twin and pulled him up the hill. Her eyes widened as she realized that Stiles hadn't slipped, but had purposely fallen to the ground to avoid the flashlights in the distance.

"Stiles wait!" Sarah hissed as the boy in front of them jumped up and sprinted forward through the shadows to find a better vantage point.

"Come on!" Stiles whispered loudly, his voice carrying towards them.

Sarah shrank back into the shadow of the large oak tree that she'd taken refuge behind. Scott glanced up at her from his place on the ground and shook his head. The brunette nodded. Neither would follow their friend, they simply couldn't afford to be caught. Scott inched towards her hiding spot and took a deep breath from his inhaler. Sarah cringed as a dog barked in the distance, there was no way that Stiles would get himself out of this one, not when there were trained police dogs involved.

"Stop! Stop right there!"

"He's done for." Scott whispered. Sarah nodded, not trusting her voice.

"Hold up! This little delinquent belongs to me." The McCall twins cringed at the sound of Sherriff Stilinski's voice. Stiles was in trouble.

"Dad how are you doing?" Stiles asked smoothly as he got up off the ground and rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly.

John Stilinski stared down at his son, amusement glittering in his eyes as he kept his expression stony. "So do you listen into all my phone calls?"

"Not the boring ones?" The brunette squeaked nervously.

"Where are your usual partners in Crime?" John paused and shone his flashlight into the woods. "Scott?" He paused. "Sarah?" He called loudly. Sarah pressed her body harder against the rough bark of the tree and covered her mouth with her hand in an effort to quiet her breathing. The last thing they needed was one of John's patented disappointed stares. He'd been the closest thing to a father either of them had had and neither of the twins wanted to let him down.

"Uh, they stayed home. Said something about a good nights sleep?" Stiles shook his head "It's just me. In the woods. Alone."

"Right." John nodded disbelievingly. "Sarah you out there?" His eyes scanned the darkness. "Scott?" The twin's stiffened as his flashlight passed over their hiding spot. Feeling satisfied with his search the Sheriff grasped the back of his son's neck loosely and pulled him towards him. "Well young man. I'm going to walk you to your car and you and I are going to have a conversation about something called invasion of privacy."

* * *

The twins waited until the flashlights had all but disappeared before they risked stepping out of the shadows of their hiding spot. Sarah cracked her neck and rolled her shoulders as she stepped out into the open.

"C'mon sis. We have a long walk home." Scott announced tiredly as he pulled out his cell phone and switched on the torch.

"Bloody Stiles." The brunette muttered as she brushed dried leaves and dirt off of her dark blue sweat pants. Pulling out her own phone she sighed as she flipped on the torch. She was right earlier. This _was_ a bad idea. Scott shook his inhaler noisily as they stumbled along in the darkness, something that Sarah wouldn't complain about, simply because it was a welcome relief from the eerily silent woods that surrounded them.

A loud howl pierced the air causing the hairs on the back of their necks to stand on end. "Was that a howl?" Scott asked shakily as he gripped his phone tighter.

Sarah shook her head immediately. "Impossible." She denied. "There aren't any wolves in California... Right?"

Scott shrugged- how would he know if there were wolves in California? The ground rumbled beneath them causing both of them to pause. "What the hell?" His eyes widened in shock as a herd of deer stampeded towards them. The older McCall bodily threw himself towards his younger sister sending them both tumbling away from the heavy hooves of the herd. Scott covered Sarah as much as he could with his larger body- it didn't matter to him if he got hurt, as long as she was okay.

The thunderous sound dimmed and faded as the last deer bounded away into the darkness. Scott sat up his arms still tight around his sister. He cupped her face lightly. "Are you okay?" He scowled as his eyes came to rest on a bloody gash on her cheek. "Does it hurt?"

Sarah gripped his wrists. "I'm fine Scotty. I just wanna go home."

"I know." Scott kissed her forehead and dropped his hands from her face, taking her hand instead. Knowing it would be a long walk home he felt for his inhaler- his eyes widening when he realized that it wasn't there. "Shit." He groaned. "I've lost my inhaler- Mom is going to kill me!"

Directing the torchlights on their phones to the ground they began to search for the tiny device of plastic and metal. Sarah pulled her hand from her brother's intending to search in the opposite direction. Bending down she brushed some leaves aside, scowling as she unearthed a chip packet and not the inhaler as she had hoped. A loud shout behind her caused her to jump in shock. Spinning in her brother's direction her stomach plummeted when she saw he was nowhere in sight.

"Scott!" Sarah yelled, terror leeching into her voice.

"I'm here!"

The brunette scowled, "Where the hell is here dumbass!"

"Down here!"

Sarah's mouth formed a perfect 'o' as she peered through the darkness down an embankment. "I still can't see you! You're too far down!" She paused and raised the light. "Are you okay?"

Scott sighed. "I'm fine! Stay where you are though, I'll climb back up to you!"

The brunette sighed. Without his inhaler, it would take at least fifteen minutes for Scott to climb back up to her. "Okay!" Turning away from the embankment she resumed her search of the inhaler. Keeping her eyes to the ground she slowly shone the light from side to side hoping that she'd just stumble across the small device. It was like searching for a needle in a haystack! A loud snap behind her caused her to jump in fright, the brunette was sent sprawling as her left foot caught on a fallen branch. Reaching her hands out to stop her fall Sarah hissed in pain as her right arm audibly cracked, and bend in an awkward angle.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck." She bit out as she sat up and cradled her now useless arm to her chest. How the hell was she supposed to explain that one to her Mom?

Her breathing was shallow from the pain- her breaths coming in short, sharp gasps instead of their normal rhythm. Sarah staggered to her feet her eyes scanning for the dim light of her phone, having dropped it when she fell. Spotting it several feet away, she groaned as she picked it up and realized the screen was completely shattered. A low growling behind her caused her to freeze. Her earlier crack about there not being any wolves in California had come back to haunt her- the fear she felt as she slowly inched around to face the growling was purely primitive- every instinct she had was screaming at her to run- to hide- to be anywhere but here.

The thing before her wasn't anything like the wolf she had expected. It was a horrific, mutated being- a monster- something that should have only existed on the silver screens of a Hollywood movie or in the pages of a Grimm Brothers fairytale. It was a thing that she couldn't have conjured even in her wildest dreams. It's crimson eyes flashed with untamed madness it seemed to relish in her fear and yet at the same time there was a spark of calculated intelligence as if it knew exactly what it was doing as it stalked towards her.

A blood-curtailing scream left her lips as the monster kept towards her it's fangs bared in a terrifying grimace. Sarah's screams heightened as the wolf- if you could possibly call it such a thing- clamped its razor sharp fangs into her right shoulder, biting it harshly before tearing it's teeth away roughly and bounding away. The brunette sunk to the ground in shock, her shoulder was bleeding profusely, and she could feel what was left of her strength leaving her as she lifted her shaking left hand to press against her mangled shoulder timidly.

Sarah cried out in pain as she pain in her shoulder doubled and spread to the base of her neck. Despite the heat from the blood still seeping from her wound, the rest of her body felt as though it had been submerged in an ice bath. "Scott." She cried softly. "Help me." The brunette's head felt heavy, it was as though she was seeing everything from a distance- the clarity refused to return to her haze filled mind. "Somebody help me?" She pleaded. Maybe if she just shut her eyes for a few moments. Perhaps everything would be better then. "I'm tired Scotty..." Sarah muttered. "It hurts." She mumbled as she slipped into unconsciousness.

* * *

Her eyelids were heavy- as though bricks or cement had weighted them down and despite the almost crushing pain... she felt weightless. As though she was flying. She'd always wanted to fly. Blue eyes opened slowly- it was dark but she realized that she wasn't floating- she was being held tightly in someone's arms.

"You... saved me?" She croaked looking up into dark eyes. "Are you..." Sarah cried out loudly as her shoulder jarred sharply. "Are you an angel?"

The man holding her seemed to stiffen. "Close your eyes. You'll feel better soon."

The blue-eyed girl complied sluggishly. _How long would it take her to feel better?_ She wondered absently. She was already feeling the effects of the blood-loss, her head felt fuzzy and her arm _burned._ Sarah gripped the man's collar with the last of her strength.

"Will I... see you...?"

Her tenuous grip on consciousness was slipping but she was determined to hear his answer.

"One day."

She sighed and released his shirt, giving into the blessed relief of unconsciousness.

* * *

Sarah sighed as she rolled over and yelped as she inadvertently put all over her body weight on her injured shoulder. Her eyes shot open, widening exponentially as she realized that she was in her bedroom. Glancing down she noticed that not only was her shoulder bandaged, but also her wrist had been set, bandaged and put into a sling. _How the hell was that even possible _she thought through her shock.

There was no way that she could have done it herself, not in her state. Hell, she'd thought that she was dead, and yet here she was bandaged, safe and most importantly, alive. So the question was, _who_ had bandaged her and _how_ had she gotten home? Had Scott- She froze. Scott!

"Scott!" Sarah shouted as she slid out of her bed and practically sprinted to her door.

Said door was flung open before she could reach it and the brunette soon found her self spinning in the air as her twin hugged her tightly. "Jesus Christ Sare. I was so scared- I couldn't find you and you won't believe what happened..." Scott trailed off as he placed her back on the hardwood floor and noticed the bandages. "What happened? Were you- were you-"

"Bitten?" The younger girl supplied wearily.

Scott sighed and dropped onto the edge of her bed. "I hoped that when I couldn't find you that you were fine, I hoped that you were safe."

Sarah hugged him with her good arm. "I know Ty, I know." She slipped back into her childish nickname of her brother, something that she only did when she was sad, scared or sympathetic. She'd outgrown the name long ago, and so had he, but it was still a comfort thing.

"Does it hurt?" He whispered.

"Yeah, but if I'm honest I think the broken arm hurts more."

Scott gaped. "Broken arm? How the hell did that happen?"

"I fell, before the wolf? bit me." Sarah used the term wolf hesitantly. "Did you- did you see it?"

The older boy shook his head. "No. I didn't. Whatever it was- it was big- and strong- Sare, it jumped up the embankment, cleanly. It knocked me down and bit me... It was as though I was an afterthought..."

"It was different with me." The blue-eyed girl replied uneasily. "It stopped. Watched me. It knew exactly what was going on- Ty, that thing, whatever it was, wasn't some dumb animal- I could see-" She stopped and shook her head. How could she tell her brother she saw _intelligence_ in its crimson eyes. How could she tell him that it _knew_ exactly what it was doing to them? "We're going to be late."

"Sare-"

"I'm fine Ty, don't worry."

* * *

The two McCall's strolled into school with minutes to spare. It had taken longer than she'd thought to get dressed this morning, even after she'd forgone the shower, opting for a quick going over with a face-washer. She'd struggled into her light ripped skinny jeans, thanked god for the invention of zip-up boots and tucked her baggy t-shirt into the front of her jeans and shrugged on a back blazer. The pain in her shoulder had dulled however her forearm screamed in protest whenever she moved it. It wasn't as if she could go to the hospital- they'd find the bite, and how was she supposed to explain that?

She'd never been so thankful that her Mom had overstocked their bathrooms with first aid supplies. Sarah had checked as soon as Scott had left, and found that some of the supplies were missing- two bandages, a sling and a brace. Her Angel. Not only had he saved her, but he'd brought her home and patched her up. The fact that a bottle of pain medication had been left out on the bathroom counter only strengthened her resolve to find the person who'd saved her life. She had to thank him somehow right?

"Dude! Watch the paint job." Sarah turned, watching as Jackson Whittemore scolded her brother for stepping to close to his precious silver Porsche.

"Dude." Scott responded sarcastically. "Nobody says dude."

Jackson glared at him before plastering a smirk on his face as he spotted her. "Looking good McCall." He smirked as he eyed the sling.

Sarah scowled. "You're still an asshole then."

"And you're still a bitch." He called over his shoulder with a grin as he swaggered away.

"Twat." She muttered waiting for her twin to catch up for her.

"Okay!" Stiles said happily as he bounded over to them. "Let's see this thing!" Scott pulled up his shirt showing his bandaged side. Judging from the somewhat sloppy job Sarah realized he must have attempted to cover it himself. Stiles' eyes widened in shock as he saw the size of the bite. He tentatively poked it, pulling his hand back quickly as his best friend hissed in pain. He turned towards the other brunette and seemed to droop as he noticed her sling and heavily bandaged arm. "I really hope you just tripped and fell." He muttered as he stared at her.

Sarah shook her head.

"Damn it." Stiles muttered angrily. "I thought you'd be okay. I thought I could come back and get you... I didn't think this..." He gestured to their bandages as he trailed off.

"Yeah well, you didn't think and there's nothing you can do about it now." Sarah responded with a snap. She didn't want to blame Stiles, but it was his idea, and he had left them in the woods with no way home.

Scott shook his head. "It wasn't his fault Sare."

"It was his idea!"

"Sare, I'm sor-"

She shook her head and changed the subject. "We think it was a wolf."

"No." Stiles laughed. "Not a chance."

"Stiles, we heard it."

"No. Because California doesn't have wolves! Not for at least sixty years." Stiles replied stubbornly.

Sarah grasped his arm and pulled them to a stop. "Stiles. What we _saw..._ it wasn't normal." She shuddered. "It was like something out of a nightmare- it was strong, fast and it was _toying _with us. It _knew_ exactly what it was doing."

Both boys shuddered. "Sare... Are you sure-"

"Jesus Stiles. Yes she's sure! Now if you're done questioning my sister's sanity I'll tell you what else I found last night."

Sarah rolled her shoulder back, hoping to relieve some of the tension. "Your Inhaler perhaps?"

"No." Scott poked his tongue out hoping to return some of the light heartedness to their small group. "I found the body."

Stiles stumbled as he jumped up and down in excitement. "Are you kidding me?" He yelped.

"Oh god I wish. I'm going to have nightmares for months."

Sarah glanced at her brother. He hadn't told her that. Not that she could judge him she supposed, for she hadn't told him about her Angel. And she wouldn't. Not until she found out who it was that had saved her life.

"That is freaking awesome! I mean this is seriously going to be the best thing that has happened to this town since." His eyes slid towards the strawberry blonde that was strutting towards them. "Since the birth of Lydia Martin. Hey Lydia!"

Lydia paused as she stared at the small group, her eyes widening as a genuine smile formed on her face. "Sarah? What the hell did you do to your arm?!"

"Lydia!" The brunette grinned as she pulled the girl into a one armed hug. "Oh well, you know me. Apparently heels aren't a good idea." The lie fell from her lips easily, and she was glad that her brother made no move to deny her story. "It's just a sprain. So how was Rome?"

Lydia's eyes lit up. "It was beautiful. You wouldn't believe how much I lear-bought. How much I bought. Obviously." She laughed nervously.

Sarah smirked at her friend's slip. She was one of the few people that had realized that Lydia was more than just designer clothing and lip-gloss. Her friend had a _genius_ level IQ, the only thing she couldn't understand about the strawberry blonde, was why she dumbed herself down for a guy. That the guy was Jackson Whittemore was insulting. That boy wouldn't know the difference between a spatula and a serving spoon.

"So how was good old Beacon Hills?" Lydia continued still attempting to cover her slip.

The brunette stiffened. "Oh you know. Same old, same old."

Both girls glanced towards the open doors of the school as the bell rang. "Catch up later?"

Lydia nodded. "I'll call you." She hugged the brunette lightly, carefully avoiding her injured arm. Pulling away she waved over her shoulder as she walked up the stairs. "Bye!"

Stiles snaked an arm around Sarah's waist and pulled her close. "How is it," He whined, "That she ignores me, but adores you?"

"Oh Stiles." The blue-eyed girl laughed. "That may have something to do with the fact that I haven't stalked her since the third grade."

"Ahh." He conceded with a grin. "The Lady has a point."

* * *

The three friends slid into desks in their first class with minutes to spare. Dumping her satchel on the ground beside her, Sarah pulled out a spiral-bound notebook and a pen setting them on the table in front of her.

"As you all know, there indeed was a body found in the woods last night-" Stiles winked as both brunettes glanced at him. "Now I'm sure your little minds are coming up with various macabre scenarios, however I am here to inform you that the police have a suspect in custody. Which means you can give your undivided attention to the syllabus on your desk outlining this semester."

Sarah picked up the syllabus on her desk and sighed. She hated modern world history. Ancient Civilizations was more to her speed, however this year, Ancient Civ's wasn't running and she needed a history class to pass sophomore year. The brunette flinched as the shrill sounds of a cell phone assaulted her eardrums. She shifted in her seat, attempting to find the person with the phone only to find her brother doing the same. The two siblings locked eyes- Scott shrugged, an answer to her unasked question. Sarah shook her head and flicked her eyes around the room again the shrill tone was beginning to hurt her ears, all she wanted to do was throw the small device against the wall, and yet she couldn't find the source of the sound.

She flinched as the tone shifted and an unfamiliar voce met her ears, complaining about not bringing a pen, of all things. She glanced back at her brother, and was surprised to find him staring out the window, confusion clear on his face. The brunette followed his gaze and almost fell out of her chair as she realized what exactly had caught Scott's attention. A dark-haired girl, seated on one of the benches, under one of the trees at the front of the school, with a _phone _pressed to her ear. The pain in her shoulder intensified the longer she attempted to listen to the conversation between the girl and the woman on the other end of the line.

Sarah purposefully turned her head from the window and gripped the desk with her uninjured hand tightly. There was no way that she was actually _listening _to a conversation that was happening outside, over one hundred meters away- it just wasn't possible. _That's what you said about werewolves, _a niggling voice whispered darkly in the back of her mind. Werewolves? She gritted her teeth. _Something_ was happening to her- to both of them, and it all boiled down to the same point- the bite they'd both received.

The brunette was so deep in her thoughts she barely noticed as the dark haired girl slipped into the seat beside her. Sarah rubbed her shoulder softly, hoping to alleviate the pain before she realized something. The man who had rescued her had taken her home, bandaged her arm and shoulder _instead_ of to a hospital. _Had he known what had bitten her?_ Another thought struck her, sending a cold shiver down her spine._ Had he bitten her? _She dismissed that thought almost as soon as it came into her mind. No, if he'd bitten her he wouldn't have taken her home and bandaged her wounds. But... there was another answer to that question. _Could her Angel be the same?_

"Hey? Do you have a pen?"

Sarah looked up; the girl from the tree was leaning towards her, her pale face expectant. "I'm sorry?"

The new girl gave her an annoyed look. "Do. You. Have. A. Pen?" She repeated slowly.

Sarah scowled. What was this girl's problem? Before she could respond Scott reached over and handed the new girl a pen. The pale-skinned girl accepted it thankfully, and shot the brunette a triumphant smirk. Sarah clenched her fists tightly and glared at her star struck brother over the top of the other girl's head. This girl had been here for less than five minutes and she'd already managed to piss somebody off. Surely that was some kind of record.

The brunette rolled her shoulders back as, much to her relief, the bell rang signaling the end of her least favourite class. Sarah sighed as she gathered her stuff and stalked out of class. Her shoulder was burning, the new girl had pissed her off and she was still kinda mad at Stiles. All in all, her day had been nothing short of terrible. Yanking her locker open she shoved her stuff inside and was glad when she realized that she had a free period.

Lydia smirked from the locker beside her. Due to their last names, they'd had lockers beside each other since the seventh grade; thankfully they'd become fast friends over the years. "Somebody's having a bad day."

Sarah laughed. "Oh you have no idea."

The strawberry blonde tilted her head to the side as she watched an unfamiliar girl stroll down the hall. "That jacket is totally killer." She smiled at the dark-haired girl.

"Thanks. I'm Allison, Allison Argent." The pale girl introduced herself.

"I'm Lydia Martin. This is Sarah McCall- she's kinda cranky so I wouldn't piss her off." Lydia smirked, shooting the girl beside her an amused glance. The green-eyed girl smiled widely as Jackson walked towards them. "And this is Jackson, my boyfriend."

Allison smiled. "Nice to meet you."

Sarah just waved her hand dismissively. She wasn't exactly interested in getting to know this girl.

"So there's a party this weekend." Lydia smirked, her eyes lighting up. The brunette beside her grinned, She loved a good party, and Lydia threw the best ones.

"Yeah." Jackson added. "It's on Friday night, you should come!" He glanced at Sarah. "You however, are welcome to stay home."

"Jackson!" Lydia growled.

"Not bloody likely asshole." Sarah snapped.

"Uh." Allison paused, glancing between the three uncertainly. "Friday night is family night."

"Great!" Sarah replied sarcastically. "I hope you have a wonderful night."

Allison's eyes turned to steel. "I'll be there."

"Everyone's going after the game." Jackson grinned at the girl who'd managed to piss off the female McCall beside him.

"You mean like football?" Allison questioned.

Sarah shook her head as Jackson replied. "Football's a joke here. No, the sport here is Lacrosse. We've won the State Championships three years in a row."

"Whittemore here is the Captain." The brunette jabbed her thumb in the general direction of the arrogant boy.

Lydia gripped Jackson's bicep proudly. "Tryouts are in a few minutes. You should come!"

"Speaking of tryouts. I've gotta go." Jackson mumbled, before kissing Lydia's cheek and waving to the small group of girls over his shoulder.

* * *

"So." Lydia smirked as she sat down, unlinking her arm from Sarah's. "You're from San Fran Cisco?" She asked Allison.

The pale girl nodded. "Uhhuh, but I've moved around my whole life." She grinned. "I used to live in Paris."

"Oh wow." The green-eyed girl gushed. "What was that like? I spent my summer in Rome, it was beautiful!"

Sarah happily tuned the two girls out. She'd grown up in Beacon Hills, and she'd never even left America. It didn't bother her, she loved the place she'd grown up in- perhaps one day she'd travel, but not anytime soon. She had to at least graduate first!

"Who is that?" Allison asked the girl beside her.

"Him?" Lydia shrugged. "I'm not sure who he is." She peered at him closely. "Hey, isn't that your brother?" She asked Sarah.

The brunette nodded. "Yep. That's my Scott." She smirked. "Lacrosse extraordinaire."

"Seriously?" Allison gaped. "_He's_ your brother?"

"Twin."

"Excuse me?"

Sarah rolled her eyes. "He's my twin."

Lydia smirked. "Got a crush Allison?"

"He's in my Modern World History class." The dark-haired girl grinned.

As Coach Finstock blew his whistle, signaling the start of tryouts Sarah barely resisted the urge to clap her hands over her ears as the shrill sound threatened to burst her eardrums. She gritted her teeth and searched for her twin in the crowd of players and noticed that he'd actually covered his ears. _Had she actually heard Allison's conversation earlier? Was it even possible?_

The brunette smothered a laugh as a lacrosse ball smacked Scott on the faceplate of his helmet sending him sprawling onto the ground.

Lydia grinned beside her. "Oh I remember him now."

Sarah snickered. "He's hard to forge- what!" She shot to her feet in shock. "Did he just catch that?" She asked the still seated girl beside her.

"Uhhuh." The green-eyed girl gaped.

The brunette watched in silent shock as Scott caught the next three balls in quick succession. She snapped out of it as he caught the fourth ball with ease. "Woooh! Go Scott!" She yelled pumping her fist in the air.

Allison spoke up beside her. "He seems like he's pretty good."

"Yeah very good." Lydia agreed shocked.

Scott bounced on the balls of his feet, encouraged by the shouting of the crowd that had gathered to watch the tryouts. Jackson glared at the boy in goals from the end of the line and shoved his way to the front, using is lacrosse stick as a barrier to stop the next player in the line up.

"Oh god." Both McCall's' muttered.

Jackson sprinted towards the goals, swung the racket back and flung the ball towards the net. Scott stepped to the side and caught the ball, a shocked grin forming on his face as he did.

Stiles screamed, jumping up from his place on the bench and shouting for joy. Scott had done it! "Yeah! That is my friend!" He yelled triumphantly. He turned to look at the bleachers and caught Sarah's eye. Their Scotty had finally done it. He was going to make first line.

* * *

"I don't know what it was." Scott explained as he, Stiles and Sarah trudged through the reserve. They'd decided- translation being that _Scott _had decided- that they should come back to the Beacon Hills Reserve and search for the inhaler before their Mom got home from her over night (almost twenty-four hour) shift at the hospital. "It was like I had all the time in the world to catch the ball!"

Sarah sighed. "I know this is going to sound weird but have you been hearing-"

"Things that we shouldn't be able to hear?" Scott nodded. "This morning in history I could have sworn I heard-"

"The new girl's phone call, while she was outside under the tree? Same."

"Can you smell the-"

"Mint mojito gun in his pocket." Sarah finished, jabbing her thumb towards Stiles.

"Woah. Okay Fred and George." Stiles muttered as he watched the verbal tennis match between them. "What do you mean mint mojito gum in my..." He looked down in shock as he pulled out a small packet of gum from his pocket. "Pocket." He finished amazed. "How did you?"

The twins smirked and high-fived. Sarah tapped her nose as an explanation.

Stiles shook his head. "Uh uh. No way. It's not possible."

"What if it's like an infection?" Scott mused. His eyes widened. "What if our bodies are just flooding with adrenalin and we're going to go into shock or something?"

"You know what. I think I've heard of this. It's a specific kind of infection." Stiles replied steadily.

"What?" Scott demanded.

"Lycanthropy."

Sarah smothered a laugh. There was no way they were turning into werewolves. This wasn't Hollywood and werewolves most definitely didn't exist. _Right?_

"What's that? Is that bad?"

"Oh yeah it's the worst." Stiles continued keeping his face blank from emotion. "But only once a month. On the night of the full moon." At Scott's confused expression he faked a howl. "Awooooooooo!"

"Damn it Stiles! I thought you were serious!" Scott cried. "There could be something really wrong with us!" He gestured between himself and his sister.

"I know!" Stiles laughed. "You're werewolves! Okay, okay!" He dodged another of Scott's half-assed swipes. "I'm kidding, I'm kidding. But if you see me in shop class melting all the silver I can find, it's because Friday's a full moon."

"You know what Scott, he's actually kinda funny." Sarah smirked. "I think we should kill him last. You know, saving the best and all that."

Stiles eyes widened. "I was kidding about the silver I promise."

Sarah grinned. "And I was kidding about saving you till last."

"I could have sworn this was it. The deer came running, I saw the body down there, and I dropped my freaking Inhaler." Scott groaned. "Sare, this is it right?"

"Uhhuh." She responded softly.

"Maybe the killer moved the body." Stiles offered as Scott searched the ground.

"If he did I hope he left my Inhaler. Those things are like eighty bucks!"

Sarah shut her eyes tightly as she looked at the log not twenty feet from where she was standing. The crimson eyes- the pain in her arm- the crunching of leaves- the blood- her blood- She pitched forwards unexpectedly as the flashbacks became too much, she closed her eyes tighter as she braced herself for the impact of the fall- what she didn't expect was the warm body that caught her effortlessly. Blue met green as her eyes shot open.

"I got you."

The brunette couldn't believe it. He was _real_. Her Angel. The one who'd saved her was real. There were so many things she wanted to ask him- why- how- what- but her vocal cords were frozen. She had so many questions and yet had no idea what to say to him.

"Sarah have you found any... thing?" Stiles gaped at the sight of his best friend in the arms of Derek Hale. _When the heck had he come back to town? _The brunette thought wearily. He'd seen the aftermath of the fire that destroyed Derek's home, he'd read the case file (not that his father knew that, or ever would know that)- and he'd come to one conclusion. Bad things happened around Derek Hale.

"What the hell did you do to my sister?" Scott growled menacingly as he stepped towards the unfamiliar male holding his sister.

Sarah reluctantly pulled herself from her Angel's arms. "I'm fine Scott, I just tripped again." She looked up catching the barely there glimpse of curiosity in his eyes. They were darker than she expected, but they were still such a vibrant green that she could have happily stayed there all-day and stared into their almost intensely cold depths.

"What are you doing here? Huh? This is private property." His voice was rough, any yet; she believed that he could sweet talk a nun into taking her clothes off and dancing upon a church altar completely naked.

"Erhm. Sorry man. We didn't know."

Scott fixed the dark-haired man with a dark glare. "We were just looking for something. It doesn't matter."

Sarah watched transfixed as her Angel pulled Scott's Inhaler out of his pocket and gently placed in into her injured hand. His fingers ghosted over the bandages- checking- feeling- making sure everything was healing like it should. "Be safe." He whispered.

She blinked and he was gone. Scott rushed to her side and hugged her tightly. "Are you okay? Did he hurt you?" He hesitantly reached for his Inhaler.

"I'm fine Ty." She whispered. "We better get going. You've got to get to work."

"Sare-"

"I'm alright. Okay?" She touched his cheek softly. "I'm alright."

"Promise?"

Sarah smiled and held out her pinky finger. Scott linked it with his with a grin. "I promise."

"Guys." Stiles broke in, changing the subject with ease. "Do you know who that was? That was Derek Hale!" He slipped his arm around Sarah's waist as Scott did the same from the other side. "You remember right? He's only a few years older than us."

"Remember what?" Scott asked curiously.

"His family?" Stiles explained incredulously. "They all burned to death in a fire like ten years ago!"

"I wonder what he's doing back?" Scott mumbled.

_Derek, _Sarah thought. _His name is Derek._

* * *

Sarah sighed as she heard the front door slam shut, meaning that Scott had finally left for work. The brunette rolled off her bed and walked into her en-suite. She stopped in front of the large mirror and pulled the thin strap of her tank top down so she'd have full access to the square bandage that completely covered her shoulder. She'd changed into her pajamas as soon as she'd gotten home, preferring the comfort of her loose pink cotton shorts to the fashionable jeans she'd been wearing for the majority of the day.

Fumbling with the knot behind her neck from the sling she growled impatiently and yanked it over her head, throwing it to the floor beside her as soon as she'd freed her arm. Sarah tentatively peeled the corner of the thick bandage half way down. Her eyes widened and she pulled the rest of the bandage down harshly. The once mangled skin on her shoulder was clear and unblemished- not a single scar in sight. Her wide eyes flicked to her wrist... was it possible that the bone in her arm had healed too? She tugged at the bandage, unraveling it awkwardly with her left hand. The revealed skin was bruised and swollen but as she wearily touched her wrist she realized that the bone in her arm had almost completely knitted back together.

The brunette wrenched the tank top over her head and turned around, attempting to look at her back in the mirror. All the scratches she'd received last night had completely healed. Sarah stared down at her hands- absently she noticed that they were shaking. _What's happening to me?_

She left her bathroom in a daze. Her mind had stopped processing what was going on; vaguely she realized that she was probably in shock. The blue-eyed girl picked up her phone and hit speed dial.

"This is Stiles."

_Huh,_ she realized. _Number three is Stiles. _"I don't know what's happening to me."

_"Sare?" He questioned hesitantly. "Sarah?"_

"I think- there's- there's something happening to me." Sarah stuttered.

_"Calm down Sare! Use your words!" Stiles exclaimed. As soon as she'd called he'd known something was wrong. She sounded disorientated, scared and confused- three things that Sarah McCall never was._

"My arm- and- and my shoulder." She took a deep breath. "They've healed?"

_"Not possible." Stiles rebuked._

Sarah scowled. "You've been saying that all freaking day Stiles!" She responded, her voice beginning to rise. "I've been telling you all day that this stuff is real and you refuse to believe me!"

_"Sare-"_

"If you don't want to help me then you can just fuck off!" The brunette spat, her temper flaring.

_"Come on sorellina, calm down." Stiles sighed. "I don't know what to believe. It's just... it all seems so far-fetched. I mean-"_

Sarah slid down the wall into a tight ball and wrapped one arm around her knees. "I understand." The brunette sighed. "I- I'm scared Stiles."

_Stiles unconsciously mimicked her position on the other end of the line. "I know baby. Maybe you just need a good nights sleep."_

"I don't know if I can sleep."

_He frowned- Sarah was the kind of girl who could sleep anytime, anywhere. For her not to be able to sleep- He shook his head. That line of thoughts wasn't good. "Do you want a lullaby?"_

Sarah laughed shakily. "Only if it comes from your iPod."

_"Fair call." Stiles snorted. "Hey," He whispered. "Everything is going to be alright. I promise. We'll talk in the morning, yeah?"_

"Yeah." The blue-eyed girl mumbled. "Goodnight Sti."

_"Goodnight Sare."_

* * *

Crystal blue eyes snapped open as a frigid gust of air swept over her body effectively waking her from her slumber. Her scream echoed through the Reserve as she finally processed where she was. Sarah shot to her feet- her skin was crawling, she'd never slept walked a day in her life- and yet here she was, practically naked in the middle of the woods. She shivered, her teeth chattered and her whole body shook. _What is wrong with me?_

The brunette wrapped her shaking arms around her bare torso took an unstable step forward. Her feet hurt, and she knew it was probably because she'd been running wild all night. Sarah cried out as her ankle rolled and her knees crashed into the ground. Tears formed in her eyes. What had she done to deserve this?

The crunching of leaves caused her to look up. A blackened house loomed in the distance- _The Hale House_ she realized absently. It was dark and broken- a shadow of something that was once beautiful. Her cobalt eyes were drawn to the imposing figure that knelt beside her gracefully- he was just like the blackened house... cold, broken and oh so empty.

"What are you doing here?"

"I-" She shook her head. "I don't know how-"

Her Angel sighed. "You don't know what's happening." She nodded. "You were bitten."

Sarah's eyes gleamed with accusation. "Did you do this to me? Did you- did you turn me into- into this?"

"No."

"Then who did?" She cried. "I'm going insane! I can hear things over a hundred meters away- I can smell things I shouldn't be able to- I slept walked over twelve kilometers! There's something wrong-"

Derek gripped her arms. "You're not insane, and there is nothing wrong with you. The thing that bit you was an Alpha- you're transitioning."

"Transitioning?" Sarah retorted disbelievingly. "No- what you're saying- it can't- it _can't- _Werewolves aren't real! They're not real!"

"Hey." Derek barked. "Look at me. Look at me! Am I real?" Sarah nodded. "I am real. We're the same. _You_ were bitten. _I was born_."

"Y-you?"

He nodded. "Yes, me."

"Why did you save me?" She whispered hugging her chest.

Derek sat back and propped his hands on top of his knees. "You reminded me of someone I once knew. I couldn't just leave you there."

Sarah smiled sardonically. "My very own guardian angel."

He laughed bitterly. "I'm far from angelic." The dark-haired man stood up and brushed his dark washed jeans down. He held out his hand. "Come on. I'll give you a lift home."

The brunette grasped his hand, marveling at the smooth callouses that covered them. "How do you know where I live?"

"I didn't." He pulled her upwards easily. "Last night I followed your scent."

Sarah shivered. Now that she was standing she was consciously aware of exactly how much clothing she was wearing- her black sports bra and cotton shorts did little to hide her modesty. Derek stared down at the smaller girl- he hadn't realized how little she was actually wearing. He shrugged off his leather jacket and wrapped it around her shoulders without a word. Sarah shoved her arms through the sleeves and zipped it up feeling instantly warmer as she put her hands in the pockets.

"Thank you." She whispered.

Derek nodded. He glanced at the smaller girl out of the corner of his eye as he slowly led her towards his Chevrolet Camaro- She seemed so small, his jacket almost dwarfed her, the arms were at least four inches too long and it seemed as though it could wrap around her body another time. And yet, despite the dirt that covered her and the dark rims around her eyes- she was still beautiful. He shook his head and opened the passenger door, gesturing for her to get inside. They were dangerous thoughts.

Sarah moved to step into the car, but at the last moment she paused and turned back around to face him. "Why are you helping me?"

His green-eyes were almost fierce as he replied. "Because you need me."

Sarah bit her lip. Did she need him? Did she need this perfect stranger in her life? The answer hit her like a ton of bricks. Without him, she'd still be broken and bleeding- he'd saved her life. She nodded. The smaller brunette ducked into the car- the interior was soft- _leather again _she noticed wryly. Sarah pulled the door shut and watched as he sat comfortably in the seat beside her. The engine roared to life and they were soon speeding down the road in a semi-comfortable silence. Her blue-eyes followed his every movement- from the way the muscles in his arms rippled as he turned the steering wheel to his obvious relaxation as he drove at speeds that would have given her mother a heart attack. He was kind of beautiful she realized.

All too soon they pulled into the driveway of her two-story house. Getting out of the car would mean confronting the reality of what she was and honestly, she wasn't quite ready. Sarah pulled the jacket tighter around herself. "Nothing will ever be the same, will it?"

"No. Derek answered. "Your life- your brother's life- will never be the same."

* * *

She was over three hours late to school by the time she'd finished scrubbing off the last of the dirt that had accumulated on her skin throughout the night. Luckily for her she'd only missed Modern World History (can you say hell yes?) and now had a free period. She smiled. The lacrosse field beckoned. Despite the yelling and grunting of the Lacrosse players, she enjoyed the cool breeze that the bleachers offered her. The brunette rested her head against the cool metal bars at the end of the bleachers.

"So, your brother- how weird is that in all the years we've known each other I've never actually talked to him- has gotten a date with the new girl." Lydia babbled as she gracefully sat beside her.

"Wait- Scott is going on a date with _Allison_?" Sarah scowled distastefully.

"Wow, say it like you mean it." Lydia laughed, "What did she even do to you? Did she sleep with your boyfriend or stab you in the eye cause I'm getting some mixed vibes here."

Sarah stared at the strawberry blonde incredulously. "I don't even know how to reply to that Lyds."

"Then don't." The green-eyed girl smirked. "When's Eri home?"

"Sunday. How is it that everyone but Stiles, Scott and I left the country this summer?" She groaned.

The girl beside her laughed. "Oh sweetheart. Like you'd want to leave, you love it here."

Sarah laughed loudly as she pulled her vibrating phone out of her pocket. Lydia grinned and gestured for her to answer it. "Hello?"

"_We have a problem."_

"Stiles," She smirked. "I should have known."

"_I overheard my Dad on the phone-"_

"Jesus Sti, you've got to stop doing that-"

"_Listen to me! The fiber analysis came back from the lab in L.A, they found animal hairs on the body from the woods!"_

Sarah's eyes scanned the field, searching for her friend. She stood up, waving off Lydia's concerned glance and moved further away from the bleachers where she wouldn't be over heard. "Stiles, what's wrong?"

"_The animal hairs from the body- they came from a wolf."_

The brunette's legs nearly buckled beneath her. Here was the proof she was asking for- the unwanted, but somewhat expected truth of the matter. She turned as a loud cheer erupted behind her, from what she could hear, Scott had just made the team. "There's something else Sti."

"_What?"_

Sarah sighed. "That lycanthropy joke? It just got real."

* * *

"Hey kiddo." Melissa leant against the doorframe with a soft smile as she watched her little girl stand in front of her full-length mirror. "You know, I could have sworn I told you to stop doing that."

Sarah turned to face her mum. "Stop doing what?"

The older woman strode forward and wrapped her daughter in a tight hug. "Growing up on me. It's not fair- I'm too hot to have two sixteen year olds!"

Both brunettes laughed loudly, their eyes sparkling as their giggles reverberated around the room.

"So, is this a party or a date?" Melissa asked after she'd recovered from her laughter.

"Well, it's a party for me." She glared towards her brother's open door. "It's a _date_ for him."

"Sarah!" The brunette grimaced at Scott's annoyed tone- if he got too angry, he'd refuse to give her a lift to no matter what their mum insisted.

Melissa grinned recognising the tell-tale signs in her daughter. "You don't like her?"

Sarah glanced at her mother. "No. She's a bitch."

"And," The older woman started, "How long did it take for you to decide this Sarah Anne?"

"Thirty seconds." The brunette mumbled.

"Yes that's what I thought." Melissa laughed. "Have fun tonight okay? But be home at a reasonable hour." She kissed her daughter's forehead. "I'll see you tomorrow morning okay kiddo?"

Sarah nodded and hugged her mum tightly. "Love you Mumma."

"I love you too baby girl."

The brunette watched with as her mum strode out of the room. Her mum meant everything to her. After all, apart from Scott, she was all she had. So how could she tell her that everything she loved about her baby girl was changing into some_thing_ else? Sarah shook her head sharply. Now was not the time to think about it. She frowned at her reflection. Despite the strategically placed make-up, the bags under her eyes were still prominent. She sighed. Apparently this was as good as it was going to get.

"You ready to go?"

Sarah looked up to find Scott leaning against her door with a grin on his face. "As I'll ever be."

* * *

They arrived at Lydia's party with Allison in tow, much to Sarah's disgust. Scott had relegated her to the backseat, claiming that since Allison was a guest, she should get the front. Hoping to avoid an argument with her brother, she'd grudgingly agreed. However after watching the pale-faced girl practically throw herself at Scott, she'd been left feeling awkward and increasingly uncomfortable.

Lydia had barely looked away from Jackson long enough to smirk at her and point her towards the undoubtedly spiked punch, knowing that after spending so much time with the new girl she'd be in need of some serious liquid courage in order to get her through the night. She'd poured herself a large glass and skulled it- waiting patiently to feel the effects.

"I hate to tell you this, but you can't actually get drunk anymore."

Sarah turned her shocked eyes towards the newcomer. "You've got to be kidding."

Derek smirked. "Wish I was."

"Aren't you a little old for high school parties?" She asked wryly as she grabbed another glass of punch, she was pretty sure that he was at _least_ twenty-one- only a measly five-year age gap. _Nothing too major_ she thought sarcastically.

"Probably." He shrugged and blatantly raked his eyes over her body, lingering on her skinny jean clad legs for a moment longer then he should have. "But I needed to talk to you."

"Then talk." Sarah paused. "Actually no." She shook her head and smiled flirtatiously. "Dance with me."

Derek shook his head. "You shouldn't be here." He pointed towards the clouded sky. "It's a full moon."

Sarah turned her back on him. "Are you going to dance with me or not Hale?" She asked over her shoulder.

"I-"

The brunette stepped towards him, intentionally pressing her body flush against his as she whispered in his ear. "One dance." She pulled his hands forward to rest on her hips and slowly twined her arms around his neck. "The moon will wait."

Derek flicked his eyes upwards searching for the moon in the sky however before he could find it the girl in his arms distracted him. The tips of her fingers lightly traced patterns on the back of his neck- he involuntarily pulled her closer as she did. How long had it been since someone had been this close to him? _Too long _he realized. The brunette smirked up at him, enjoying the feeling of his hands on her hips. They swayed to the beat of the music, Derek swung her out and back in lightly, the natural grace he possessed as a werewolf making it easy to maneuver around the drunken and grinding students that littered the dance floor.

"You're enjoying this." Sarah whispered, as she was pulled closer to the older man once more.

He smirked. His hand was splayed across the small of her back and he had to admit, he liked her being this close. "Perhaps."

She laughed lightly, her eyes wandering the party. She easily spotted Lydia- the strawberry blonde was pressed up against a wall, her legs wrapped tightly around her boyfriend looking thoroughly undignified as Jackson's hands roamed up and down her body. Danny was next, standing casually beside the drinks table chatting to a boy she didn't recognize. The brunette rolled her eyes as she glanced at the dazed expression her brother was sporting. Of course he'd like _her. _She deliberately looked away from her brother, turning her head to the sky. Sarah realized her mistake as her cobalt eyes caught sight of the full moon. Her whole body seized, causing Derek to growl as he too turned his gaze to the sky.

"I fucking _told _you." He ground out.

The older man tightened his grip on her waist and purposefully walked her to the door. Sarah lost sight of Scott in the crowd- she knew she shouldn't leave him alone, not tonight of all nights, but she could barely control herself. How was she supposed to help him too? Derek led her to the Camaro, opening the door swiftly and bodily picking her up and placing her in the seat. She'd regained feeling in her limbs, but with that feeling came the animalistic urge to hunt- to kill whatever she could sink her teeth into.

Her hands clenched, her fingernails elongating dangerously. "Lock me up!" She hissed, her eyes watering from the pain.

Derek nodded and didn't ask questions; instead he pressed his foot harder on the gas. "I know a place."

* * *

Stiles had watched in horror as his best friends scattered from the party like glass from a shattered windowpane. He'd watched as Derek led Sarah away barely ten minutes after her arrival, and was shocked to watch him offer Allison a lift home not half an hour later after Scott's apparent anxiety attack. The brunette pulled up to the McCall house, and cut off the engine of his precious blue jeep. His hands shook as he flicked through his key ring, glad for once that he'd gotten a key of Melissa all those years ago.

He took the stairs two at a time and narrowly avoided tripping over his own feet in his haste to get to Scott's bedroom. He banged on the door frantically. "Scott! It's me, let me in!" Stiles yelled through the door. "I can help!"

"No listen!" Scott groaned. "You've got to find Sare and Allison."

"Allison's fine she got a lift home from the party." Stiles swallowed nervously. "I don't know where Sare is- I lost track of her after-"

"Stiles! If I'm turning then so is Sarah! You need to find her! I know who did this to us!"

"Look, just let me in so we can talk!" The brown-eyed boy yelled.

Scott groaned in pain. "It's Derek! Derek Hale's the werewolf! He's the one that bit us. He's the one that killed the girl in the woods!"

"Scott." Stiles whispered as his blood turned to ice. "Derek's the one who gave them a ride." He jumped as he heard a dull thud from inside the room. "Scott?" He hesitantly pushed the door open. His eyes widened in horror as Scoot jumped off the window ledge. "Scott!" Stiles threw himself forward, arm out-stretched, hoping, and praying that he could catch Scott before he hit the ground. The brunette's eyes widened as he watched Scott land effortlessly on the ground, his hand splashing into the water beside him. Stiles shuddered as Scott stared back up to him, his golden eyes glinting in the full moon.

A howl ripped through the air causing the hairs on the back of his neck to stand on end. Everything had changed.

* * *

Scott tore through the forest, completely giving over to his instincts as he followed the familiar scent of his sister through the darkness. His eyes darkened in animalistic rage as he spotted a sleek black Camaro that was almost drowning in both the scent of his sister and his almost girlfriend, Allison. He jumped, landing on the roof with a clatter and growled when he found the shiny car empty. A fresh scent wafted towards him and he stiffened. _Sarah?_ He thought vaguely through his anger-induced haze. He leapt from the roof of the car and onto the ground, sending dried leaves in every direction as he followed the trail she'd left behind.

His eyes narrowed in anger as he spotted Sarah's blazer hanging inconspicuously from a tree, not fifty meters away. Scott growled as a new scent hit him like a freight train. "Hale." He spat. "Where are they!" The brunette yelled as the older man stepped out of the shadows, his azure eyes glowing as he stared at Scott.

"Safe." Derek responded loudly. Despite being older, stronger, faster and more experienced than the newborn Beta, Derek was still just that. A Beta. He was strong, yes, borne Werewolves naturally were, but he couldn't command Scott to do anything. He could help him, he could help them both, but he couldn't stop them. Not without the power of an Alpha.

"Where's my sister? Where's Allison!"

"Safe." The black-haired man smirked. "Far away from you."

Scott growled and lunged towards the older male- he was caught off guard however, when Derek did the same sending them tumbling backwards through the underbrush. The dark-haired man threw his full weight onto Scott as he caught the scents of multiple people. _Argent Hunters _he thought maliciously. "Quiet." He ordered, pulling Scott into a reluctant crouch as he did. Derek's azure eyes swept the darkened forest quickly and narrowed as he spotted the Hunter's dangerously close to their hiding spot. "Too late, they're already here! Run!"

The brunette stumbled as Derek pushed him out of the line of fire harshly, and into the darkness. Scott struggled to regain his footing and was sent reeling as an arrow, of all things, exploded into light as it hit the tree beside him. Blinded, he didn't expect the next arrow that shot straight through his shoulder, effectively pinning him to the tree behind him. Distantly he heard a muttered curse and rubbed his stinging eyes furiously with his uninjured arm as he heard the crunching of leaves.

"Take him." The voice was unfamiliar and had an edge of steel to it that made the sixteen-year-old nervous.

Scott blinked his eyes clearing momentarily, allowing him the clarity to see as the three men were thrown to the ground- giving Derek the precious time he needed to free the younger boy from the arrow. He ripped the arrow from Scott's arm without mercy, causing the shorter boy to groan in pain. "Run." Derek hissed and took off into the darkness- Scott followed without further prompting.

"Who, were they?" Scott demanded as Derek glided to a stop meters in front of him. The younger boy slumped against a tree, his energy spent and his arm burning.

"Hunters. They've been hunting _our_ kind for centuries." The now green-eyed man responded grimly.

"Our kind?" Scott yelped disbelievingly. "You mean you! You did this to me!"

"Is it really so bad Scott? That you can see better, hear more clearly, move faster than any human could ever hope? You've been given something that most people would kill for! The bite is a gift." Derek lectured, his temper spiking at Scott's insolence.

"What about my sister? Huh? What did you do to her?"

"Nothing." He snapped. "Your sister came to me. Like it or not, I helped her, and I'll do the same for you if you would just let me help!"

"I didn't want this." Scott growled. "And I don't want your help."

"You will. You're going to need me if you want to learn how to control it. So you and me Scott?" Derek gestured between them, his face stony as he glared at the younger Beta. "We're brother's now."

* * *

Sarah awoke to the gentle clinking of chains as she unfurled herself from the uncomfortable position she'd found herself in. The smell of blood was rich in the air- over the course of the night she'd rubbed her wrists raw thanks to the steel shackles that bound her firmly to the wall.

"Are you okay?"

The brunette looked up. She hadn't even heard him come in but now found herself staring up into the surprisingly concerned green-eyes of Derek Hale. She nodded as he bent down to examine her wrists. His hands were surprisingly gentle as he released the bindings, letting them fall to the ground with a clatter.

"Laura was the same after her first few transformations." Derek spoke absently, grinning in remembrance. "She was a 'late bloomer', didn't turn until she was fourteen. She always insisted on being chained up. Said it made her feel safer, and the bloody wrists were the price to pay for having a shred of humanity." He stood up pulling her with him softly, a cool mask setting back over his features as he let her arms fall to her sides smoothly. "They'll heal within the next few hours."

"Thank you." Sarah whispered softly, refusing to comment on the information he'd just given her. Her mind however was spinning. _Who was Laura?_ She thought. _An old girlfriend? A sister? A friend? _"Does it go away?" Derek looked mildly perplexed at her question. "The urge to…" She trailed off, hoping he'd catch her meaning.

"Kill?" He finished, his eyes hard. "In a way it does. It's not hard to tap into but, eventually, you can control the more animalistic impulses."

Sarah swallowed thickly. "Will you help me to control it? The urges, the wolf, everything?" She realized exactly how desperate her voice had become and made no move to hide it- she needed his help. "Help me to control it."

The twenty-one year old stared at the brunette intensely. She and Scott may be twins, but unlike her brother, Sarah was unafraid to ask for help or accept it. It was disconcerting to realize exactly how much trust she'd placed in him already- more than anyone had placed in him in years. "You're not what I expected."

"I'm sorry?" The brunette asked confused. "What do you mean?"

Derek shook his head, not ready to explain the truckload of baggage that trailed behind him. "Never mind. C'mon, I'll give you a lift home."

The hilarity of the entire situation seemed to fall on her all at once, and couldn't stop the giggle that fell from her lips. His bemused expression just made her laugh harder, it was a somewhat odd expression on him, and she had to admit, it rather suited him.

"Care to enlighten me?" Derek asked befuddled.

"It's just," Sarah giggled again. "You've sort of become my personal chauffer."

He scowled minutely, before his face morphed into a smirk. "Well, in that case, you can start paying."

Sarah grinned, finally overcoming the giggles. "Whatever you say Mr. Hale."

* * *

The brunette trudged up stairs to her bedroom and collapsed, face first onto her bed, groaning in satisfaction as she felt the tension in her back decrease and her strained muscles relax. The wounds on her wrists had already begun to close over, although she would have to wear a long sleeved top for the rest of the day.

Her peace was interrupted suddenly, as her bedroom door was slammed open with enough force to dent the wall behind it. She glanced up tiredly- the aggravated expression her twin was currently sporting was enough for her to shut her eyes and determinedly bury her face in her pillow.

"What? So you can't even look at me now?" Scott demanded as he glared at his younger sister.

"Well," Sarah began, her voice muffled by the pillow. "I was hoping that if I wished hard enough and pretended that you weren't in my room, disturbing my attempts to sleep, that you'd eventually leave me alone."

He swallowed a growl. "I don't think so! Where were you last night? Huh? I was so worried!"

"You're my brother, not my keeper Scott."

Scott strode towards his sister, the glare still firmly in place and jumped onto the bed, bouncing on the mattress. Sarah groaned and swatted his legs tiredly before rolling over to face him when she realized that her attempts were futile.

"What?" She groaned, shielding her eyes from the sunlight that streamed through her window.

He smirked and plopped down beside her, happy that he'd gotten her full attention. She was obviously tired, worn out from the night they'd had he supposed. His eyes wandered her body, searching for injuries. He growled as he spotted her red raw wrists.

"What are these?" Scott demanded as he examined her wrists gingerly.

Sarah shrugged. "Wrists?"

"Don't play dumb with me!"

She sighed. "I was chained to a wall. Apparently this is what happens when you fight against shackles all night."

"He chained you up?" Scott asked dangerously.

"Yes, because I asked him to."

The older brunette growled. "You shouldn't trust him."

"Who I trust is none of your business. You're not my keeper."

Scott laughed harshly. "You know, you keep saying that, but at least I give a fuck about you."

"Fuck off Scott." Sarah snapped, finally at the end of her patience with her brother. Scott growled and stood up.

"I'm just trying to help!"

Sarah flipped him off and pulled the bed covers around her. "Well you're doing a great job of that now aren't you?" She sighed wearily and flopped back against her pillows. "Just leave me alone Scott."

"Fine!"

"And shut the door behind-" The door slammed hard enough to rattle the doorframe. "You." She finished with a huff. Things were changing- between her and Scott especially. There hadn't been this much tension between them in years. _Yes,_ she thought wryly as she shut her eyes. _Things were definitely changing. _She'd just have to wait to see if those changes would be for the better.

* * *

**AN: Please Review and let me know what you think! **


	2. Second Chance At First Line

**Thank you to everyone who has reviewed, favourited and followed both this version of Addicted and the old one- I'm not going to apologize for how long this chapter has taken, reality is a little hard to bare at the moment and it's hard to write anything that doesn't end with me killing everyone off. So to everyone who has stuck with me I have to say a massive thank you. This will be slow going, but I hope you believe it's worth it.**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Teen Wolf, that honor belongs to Jeff Davis. However, Sarah belongs to me.**

* * *

**Addicted**

**Chapter Two**

**Second Chance at First Line**

* * *

_Previously:_

_"Fuck off Scott." Sarah snapped, finally at the end of her patience with her brother. Scott growled and stood up._

_"I'm just trying to help!"_

_Sarah flipped him off and pulled the bed covers around her. "Well you're doing a great job of that now aren't you?" She sighed wearily and flopped back against her pillows. "Just leave me alone Scott."_

_"Fine!"_

_"And shut the door behind-" The door slammed hard enough to rattle the doorframe. "You." She finished with a huff. Things were changing- between her and Scott especially. There hadn't been this much tension between them in years. Yes, she thought wryly as she shut her eyes. Things were definitely changing. She'd just have to wait to see if those changes would be for the better._

* * *

Stiles sighed wearily and rubbed his eyes as he flopped down on a bench in the Lacrosse locker room. He'd had an _interesting _morning to say the least- and that was without mentioning his beyond awful weekend. With less than three hours sleep over the course of the weekend the sixteen-year old was running on fumes- and a few more tablets of Adderall than the prescribed dosage. He'd spent most of the previous night in the Jeep searching everywhere he could think of for his two best friends who'd recently come into their- umm- powers? He'd gotten a single text from Sarah close to one am saying that she was fine- but that didn't stop him worrying. He'd eventually found Scott however.

He'd turned up at the McCall house early that morning, only to walk in on the end of an argument between his two, apparently furious, best friends. Stiles rolled his shoulders back and scowled. He'd never seen an argument that big between them. They were weird in that regard- the McCall twins _never _fought. So to see an argument between them… it was shocking to say the least. He had pulled the entire story out of Sarah in the Jeep and he honestly hadn't known how to react at all.

The lanky teen stood up, shrugged off his jacket and swiftly pulled his shirt over his head, shoving it into his locker. He rested his head on the cool metal and sighed. Things were changing. The sound of a bag dropping to the ground beside him caused him to turn around- coming face to face with his somewhat dazed best friend. Stiles slowly waved his hand in front of Scott's eyes and scowled when the brunet didn't respond.

"Scott!" He called loudly.

"Huh?"

"So which one did you apologize to? Your sister or your girlfriend?"

"Allison."

Stiles scowled. _Yes, _he thought _because Allison was the one he really needed to apologize to. _"So is she giving you a second chance?"

"Yeah." Scott grinned.

"Alright." Stiles muttered. "So everything is almost good."

"No."

"Well obviously. You haven't apologized to Sare yet an-"

"No." Scott mumbled again. _He_ wasn't going to be the first to apologize. "Remember the hunters?"

"No." Stiles started sarcastically. "Why on earth would I remember the hunters that are trying to murder my best friends? Why would I remember that?

"Her Dad is one of them."

"Her Dad?"

"Shot me." Stiles tried to process what Scott was telling him.

"Allison's Father?"

"With a crossbow." Scott's voice cracked.

Stiles opened his mouth. "Allison's Fat-"

"Yes her Father!" The brunet yelled, started to hyperventilate. "Oh my god. Oh my god. I'm gonna die-"

Stiles' eyes widened and with as much force as he could muster, slapped the brunette across the face. "Scott! Snap out of it! He- He didn't recognize you right?"

"No, no I don't think so."

He sighed. "Does she know about him?"

"I don't know." Scott's eyes widened dramatically. "Oh man. She's gonna kill me.

Stiles picked up Scott's Lacrosse gear and shoved it towards him. "Here take this, just focus on Lacrosse for now. Yeah?" Scott mumbled his agreement and Stiles' slapped his shoulder good-naturedly. The last thing they needed right now was for Scott to loose control. They reached the field just in time for them to hear coach Finstock announce that it was time for one-on-ones. Which meant Jackson with an extra long Lacrosse racket beating up anyone who tried to get past him. What a fabulous way to start a new school week.

* * *

"Greenburg! Take a lap!"

Sarah smothered a snicker as she took a seat on the steel-cold benches that overlooked the Lacrosse Field. It was a habit she'd gotten into during her freshman year- whenever she had a free-period she'd go out on to the Lacrosse Field and study or if the team was practicing, she'd pretend to study and check them out over the top of her book. Despite the distractions the attractive Lacrosse players were, spending her time on the bleachers was much easier than spending her frees dealing with the obviously menopausal librarian. Lydia grinned as she took a seat beside her. They'd all elected to have their frees on the same line, which meant even if the player's weren't distraction- her two best girl friends were. The blue-eyed girl pulled out her phone as it vibrated and grinned at the name that flashed on the screen.

_'So, it's my last day in Australia and all we're doing is climbing a metal bridge. Oh the joy'_

She giggled and took a snap-shot of the boys on the field- _'You're missing out Eri!'_

Lydia glanced down at the phone and giggled at the text. "When does she get home?"

Sarah shrugged and winced slightly as Jackson flattened Scott easily showing off his smooth prowess for the game. "It's her last day today, so it shouldn't be too long."

Her phone vibrated again and a picture of a tanned Erica and a shaggy blonde-haired, blue-eyed boy with his top off, his arm around her waist and a surfboard tucked under his other arm popped up. Lydia smirked. "I hate to say it Sare, but we're definitely missing out on this one."

Sarah laughed and nodded. '_Okay Eri, you win. See you soon!'_

"McCall's gonna do it again. McCall's gonna do it again!"

She had so much to tell her best friend. But the real question was would she be able to the blonde the truth about what had happened. Stiles knew, but that was different, he- no. She wouldn't compare them, and she'd never kept a single secret from Erica. It was just the way they were. No secrets, no lies.

Her gaze turned back to the field. She so wasn't sure about Scott playing Lacrosse anymore. Sarah knew just how dangerous the both of them had become and the fact that neither of them had any semblance of control yet just made it that much more dangerous. Stiles stared up at her and she recognized the worried expression on his face- she was sure it was mirrored on her own.

"What the hell?" Lydia yelped jumping to her feet.

"Huh?" Sarah turned her eyes back to the field. Jackson was on the ground, clutching his shoulder and groaning- while Scott was not far from him, collapsed on the ground. "Oh fuck." She muttered and followed the frantic Lydia onto the grass.

She reached her brother just after Stiles. "C'mon Scott get up." She growled. "I swear to god if you don't get up- Scott get up!"

"I can't control it Stiles, its happening!" The brunette almost dropped her brother. _Of course he'd ignore her help_ she thought angrily _she hadn't apologized._

"What?" Stiles yelped. "Right here? Now?" He shot Sarah and apologetic glance and pulled Scott off the ground with strength she didn't know the lanky boy possessed. "Can you make sure no one saw?" He whispered.

She shot her brother a death glare before responding to Stiles. "Sure." The brown-haired girl rubbed her shoulder absently and quickly walked towards Lydia. "Is he okay Lyds?"

"No!" The strawberry blonde scowled. "Your psycho brother attacked him! He's completely ruined his shoulder!"

Sarah glanced at the boy on the ground. _It couldn't have happened to anyone better. _She thought sarcastically. "Scott's a little _weird_ at the moment. He uh-" The brunette stopped as her eyes were drawn to a somewhat imposing figure standing on the edge of the Lacrosse field.

"Sare?"

"Huh?" Lydia drew her attention once more. "Um, I've gotta go- talk later yeah? Tell me how Jackson pulls up!" She called over her shoulder. She grabbed her messenger bag off the bleachers and slung it over her shoulder, as she walked towards him. "Derek? What are you-" She shook her head. "You saw."

"He lost control."

Sarah rolled her eyes. "We have no control to lose Derek. He's just in a situation where he's more liable to lose control."

Derek stared at her for a moment before he replied. "If he keeps going he's going to get us all killed."

"Excuse me?"

"Scott didn't tell you." He muttered.

Sarah's eyes narrowed. "Scott didn't tell me what?" She asked dangerously.

He scowled. "We were attacked by Hunters on the full moon."

"You've got to be kidding. No." She shook her head. "No way."

Derek clenched his fists in his pockets. Sarah was Scott's sister- why hadn't he told her about a credible threat to both their lives? Did he really have that little regard for her safety? "Yes. Most operate under a strict moral code- but where there are werewolves, there are Hunters. They've been killing our kind for centuries."

Sarah clutched at her now queasy stomach. "Holy shit. Holy _shit." _She muttered. "He's playing on Saturday night damn it! Half the town is coming. Half the fucking town! There's going to be Hunters in the stands. Holy shit." She gasped, fighting for air. "I can't breathe. I can't breathe!"

"Hey. Hey!" Derek grabbed her tightly, swiftly pulled her upright and away from the prying eyes on the field. "Hey McCall! McCall! Sarah! Hey look at me. Look at me!" He cupped either side of her face and forced her to look him in the eye. "Hey, hey. Look at me." He ordered softly. "You need to breathe okay. Breathe."

The brunette's breathing slowed and she sighed- partly in relief and partly because she realized the position she'd found herself in. She pulled away awkwardly. Of all the people she could have had a panic attack in front of it was _him_. Why did it have to be him? She hadn't had a panic attack since she was twelve- why couldn't it have happened when she was with Stiles! At least he wouldn't have pity in his eyes!

"I've um- I've got to- um- go. I've got to go." She shook her head and took a few hurried steps back. "Brother's to maim and all that."

Derek shoved his hands in his pockets and stared at her retreating figure. What the hell had just happened? She'd had a panic attack. Her having a panic attack was the _last_ thing he expected. Although, him being able to pull her out of it was also pretty high up there on his list of things he didn't expect.

Sarah glanced back at him over her shoulder- it was a sign of how much things had changed in a short time that she wasn't even slightly surprised that he was gone, with no evidence he'd been there at all.

* * *

"Hey kiddo, late shift again for me. But, I am taking Saturday off to come watch your first game!"

It was such an odd thing to realize that no conversation in their house would ever be private again. A prime example, Sarah noted, was the conversation occurring between her brother and Mum, in Scott's room. Even though she was downstairs she could hear the conversation as though it was happening right beside her.

She sighed, her slim fingers hovering over the ivory keys of the dark wood piano in front of her. She'd been sitting in front of the instrument for almost half an hour and still hadn't actually touched the keys. Everything she had tried playing turned out rather melancholy and confused- reflecting her current mood she supposed.

"No, mum you can't."

"Oh yes I can. And I will. C'mon, one shift isn't gonna break us. Not completely." Sarah could almost hear her mum frowning. "Hey what's wrong with your eyes? You look like you haven't slept in days."

"Oh ah, its nothing, just stress I guess."

"Just stress. Nothing else? I mean it's not like you're on drugs or anything right?"

"Right now?"

"Right now?" Sarah cringed as she heard her mother's voice rise. "I'm sorry. What do you mean right now? Have you ever taken drugs?"

"Have you?"

Sarah almost snorted at the question. Scott sure knew how to get out of an argument.

"Get some sleep."

The brunette pushed herself away from the Piano bench and started up the stairs. She met her Mum half way up, and was immediately pulled into a tight hug. "Hey baby girl. I'm on-"

"Late shift again, I know." Sarah sighed.

"Not long now kiddo, only a few more months of the graveyard shifts and I'll be a fully qualified Registered Nurse." Melissa smiled and pulled her daughter down to sit on the stairs. She pushed a strand of hair behind Sarah's ear and kissed her forehead. "You can't stay mad at your brother forever sweetheart."

Sarah scowled. "Want to bet?"

Melissa laughed and hugged her daughter around the shoulder. "I have no doubt that you'll try, but eventually one of you will have to apologize before this gets out of hand."

"Mum."

"No." She held up a hand. "Apologize to your brother. Even if he's the one who should be apologizing."

"Yeah, yeah." Sarah conceded. "Love you Mumma."

"I love you too baby cakes. Now get some sleep. At least one of my children should keep an A average." Melissa smirked and stood up, grabbing her handbag she headed for the door. "Don't burn down the house while I'm at work!" She called over her shoulder.

Sarah stared at the front door her mum had left through, attempting to process what she'd said. Should she apologize to Scott, if only to end their ongoing argument? She shook her head and turned around, continuing her trek up the stairs. She stopped in front of her brother's room and took a deep breath. The brunette pushed the door open and leant against the doorframe. However at the sight of her slightly older brother lounging on his bed without a care- any apology she'd come up with went flying out the window and all she could think of was the _Hunters _that were after them.

"When were you going to tell me?"

"What?" Scott asked from his bed.

She scowled. "About the Hunters Scott. You didn't think that as a werewolf I would also need to know? Or were you just going to wait until I had a bullet in my chest and a knife in my neck?"

Scott had sat up, guilt clear on his face half way through her sentence. "Sare-"

"Don't 'Sare' me Scott! How could you not fucking tell me! Huh? Why didn't you tell me?" Sarah growled, her blue eyes flashing.

"I was going to tell you-"

"But you didn't!" She cried. "Were you really so angry with me that you wouldn't tell me that my life was in danger?"

"It slipped my mind." Scott mumbled.

"Slipped your mind?" She snarled. "How could something that huge slip your fucking mind Scott? I know you're dumb but I didn't think you were stupid!"

Scott growled at her. "When did you become such a bitch?"

"The same time you started lying to me." Sarah scowled. "I had to find out from Derek, Scott. Derek! And you know what happened when he told me? I had a panic attack!"

"Jesus Sarah." He groaned. "What were you doing talking to Derek? He's dangerous!"

"That's all you got out of that? That I talked to Derek?"

"Stay away from him Sare." Scott grabbed her arms tightly. "You need to stay away from him."

The brunette glared at her brother. "Let go Scott."

"Promise me!"

Sarah shoved the slightly taller boy back, forcing him to let go of her. "No."

She sighed as Scott's laptop started ringing cutting off any reply her brother might have had. Scott turned his back on her and answered the video chat from Stiles.

"_Hola mis amigos."_ Stiles smiled.

"I'm gonna go." Sarah whispered, knowing full well that Scott would hear her.

"Fine."

"_Where's she going?"_

Sarah stalked out of the room and into her own, throwing herself face-first onto her bed and screamed into the mattress as loud as she could. Why had she done that? Instead of apologizing, she'd bit his head off. _Way to go Sarah, _she thought _real nicely done._

Rolling over, she sat up and grabbed a fresh set of underwear from her chest of draws. She dumped the change of clothes on the vanity in her en suite bathroom, stripped off the old clothes she had on and stepped under the hot water. Shutting her eyes tightly she sighed, feeling her tense muscles relax under the soothing spray of water. The brunette gritted her teeth and focused on the sound of the water- attempting to block out the constant hum of voices. Her breathing slowed and all of a sudden all she could hear was the sound of the water hitting her body.

A loud bang caused her focus to slip momentarily. She rolled her shoulders back and rested her forehead against the cool tiles of the shower, letting the hot liquid run down her back. Her thoughts turned back to the argument she'd had with Scott. They never fought. Sure, they'd have their little disagreements but nothing as bad as what had been happening lately. They'd always presented a united front, especially since their Father left.

She shut off the water and grabbed a towel, wrapping it tightly around her body. Wiping the condensation off the mirror she stared into it, searching for any outward differences. At first glance, she still looked exactly the same as she had two weeks ago although she knew that if she looked closer she'd see the subtle differences. Sarah could see the slight toning of her body, her arms and stomach in particular- the way her blue eyes had darkened- and those were just the obvious (at least to her) ones. She shook her head and dried off, slipping into her underwear. Opening her en suite door she walked back into her bedroom, attempting to dry her hair as she did.

"What the hell?" She yelped, spotting a tall figure in the corner of her room. She attempted to cover up her practically naked body with the towel as he immediately turned his back to her.

"I'm sorry- I didn't realize you'd be- uh-"

Sarah quickly grabbed a pair of long pajama bottoms and a long sleeved top and pulled them on. "It's fine. You can turn around now. I promise I'm fully clothed." Derek turned around and leant against the wall, choosing to ignore her last comment. He looked her up and down speculatively- he'd just seen a hell of a lot more than he ever expected he'd see of her- and he couldn't deny that she was- well- hot. He shook his head. Not only was there a five-year age gap but, she was only sixteen! Which meant it was beyond illegal. "Um- can I ask why you're- uh- here?" She gestured to her room as she pulled her hair up.

"I needed to _talk_ with your brother."

She grinned. "I take it that bang was you then."

Derek smirked. "More your brother than me."

Sarah sat on the edge of her bed and pulled her legs up to her chest. "So why are you in my room?" She paused and looked at her open door. "Wait- can you tell if Scott's listening?"

"He's asleep."

She nodded. "So…"

He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "I wanted to see if you were okay." He stepped forward. "You know, after today."

"I'm fine."

"Do they happen often?"

Sarah looked up at him. "The panic attacks? No." She shook her head. "At least, not anymore."

"Anymore?" Derek asked slowly.

She patted the bed beside her. He sat beside her smoothly. "I got them a lot as a kid. My Mum kicked my Dad to the curb when Scott and I were three. He was a drunk." She grimaced. "He was never violent but he _was_ neglectful- he left me in a car by myself while he went to get a quick drink- except he drank himself into a stupor and I was found fourteen hours later by Stiles' Dad." She stared down at her hands. "Mum called the police after he didn't bring me home- I was only supposed to be gone for an hour."

"How old were you?" He whispered. He'd never been able to understand how someone could be so cruel to someone they considered family. But, he supposed, he'd never truly known what a _normal_ family was like- he'd grown up in a _pack._

"I was seven. He um- he never really wanted a daughter."

Derek gently took his hand in hers and squeezed it. He honestly didn't know what he could say to her that would make her feel any better… he wasn't good at comforting people. "I'm sorry."

She shook her head. "Don't be." She inhaled quickly. "I can't believe I told you that."

"But I'm glad you did."

Sarah sighed and rested her head on his shoulder. "Thank you. For listening."

Derek hesitantly wrapped his arm around her as they lay back on the bed. "You're welcome." He whispered. He knew he was stepping into dangerous territory with the younger girl. Not only because it was borderline illegal- but because of what happened the last time he fell in love with someone. He supposed that with Sarah being a wolf would make it easier but on the other hand explaining to a judge that sleeping with an underage girl was fine simply because she was also a _werewolf- _well, he'd be pretty much guaranteeing a one-way ticket to a padded room and an uncomfortable white jacket.

He sighed and glanced at the brunette beside him. A part of him wasn't surprised to find her fast asleep- although the other half of him was wondering how she was just so _comfortable _with him. People tended to cross to the other side of the street when they saw him walking towards him and yet here she was, after only knowing him for less than a week, practically asleep in his arms. It was surreal and he couldn't quite decide if she was brave or stupid.

* * *

When she awoke the next morning it took a few minutes for her to realize why she was so cold. A hand covered her mouth when she finally figured out that she'd fallen asleep in the arms of a man who was not only five years her senior, but a veritable stranger.

Arriving at school, she cursed, not for the first time in her life, that she and Scott shared the majority of their classes. She'd successfully avoided him all morning- the last thing she needed was her brother questioning why Derek's scent was all over her. She rubbed her eyes as she sat in her assigned seat in the Mathematics classroom. Math was by far her worst class, and watching her brother (who wasn't that much better at Math than she was) attempt to solve a problem on the board at the same time as Lydia made her want to cringe.

The conversations around her switched between the same three topics: the upcoming Lacrosse game, Jackson's 'injury' and the still unidentified body in the woods. She soon found herself with a fourth option as Lydia turned to Scott.

"Why's there a rumor going around that you're not playing tomorrow?" The strawberry blonde asked cattily.

Scott shrugged. "Cause I'm sort of not."

Sarah's eyes glared holes in her brother's unprotected back. What the hell did he mean by _sort of?_

"I think you sort of are, especially when you brutally injured my boyfriend by ramming into him." Lydia snapped.

The brunette scowled at her friend's back. She loved the girl- but right now she wanted nothing more than to drag her from the room and chuck her down the nearest available fight of stairs.

"Your boyfriend brutally injured himself by ramming into me." Her brother grumbled.

"Jackson's gonna play tomorrow. But he's not going to be at his peak. And I prefer my boyfriend, at peak performance."

"Okay?" Scott shrugged, not at all regretful of Jackson's injured shoulder.

"I date the captain of the winning Lacrosse team and if they start off the season losing, I'm dating the captain of the losing Lacrosse team. I don't date losers." Lydia growled.

Sarah smothered a laugh- that was just typical Lydia reasoning, and as annoyed as she was at the girl, she couldn't deny that she found it funny.

"Losing one game isn't going to kill anyone. In fact it might even save someone." Scott mumbled.

She shut her eyes and internally sighed in relief. They may not be getting along at the moment, but finally. Scott was getting it.

"Fine! Don't play. We'll probably win anyway, then we'll go out after, like we were planning and I'll introduce Allison to all the hot players on the team."

The pencil she was holding snapped loudly in her hand. Every person in the room had turned to stare at her- some in amusement, others, in shock. The idea of throwing Lydia down the nearest flight of stairs was looking better with every passing second. There was no way her idiot brother wouldn't play the game- especially since Lydia had brought Allison into the argument. She dropped the pieces of broken pencil onto the desk and stood up anger pulsing through her veins.

"May I be excused?" She asked through clenched teeth.

Mr. Andrews nodded nervously as Sarah picked up her bag, flung it over her shoulder, and grabbed her books before racing for the door. Entering the nearest bathroom she dropped her stuff, not at all caring as it scattered across the floor. She grasped either side of the closest sink as she tried to calm herself down- she glared up at the mirror watching as her eyes flickered dangerously between gold and her normal blue. She cringed as she felt rather than heard the porcelain sink warp under her death-like grip.

Sarah frantically struggled to fight the shift- she could feel her flingers elongating into claws and her canines grow. She growled at the pain of the shift and abruptly let go of the sink- collapsing to the floor like a marionette whose strings had been cut. She clenched her hands into fists and hissed as the claws she'd just grown pierced the skin on her palms. Blood seeped from the wounds- with a muffled curse she awkwardly held her hands over the skin from her position on the ground. Because blood stains on the floor of a high school bathroom wasn't suspicious at all.

The pain in her hands caused her to abruptly shift back. She breathed a sigh of relief and gingerly got to her feet. There was a lot more blood than she'd expected in the basin, so she hurriedly turned the tap on, hoping no one would decide that now was the perfect time to use the bathroom. As the last drop of crimson was washed away she stared down at her rapidly healing hands.

Sarah shuddered. She wasn't kidding herself. She knew that the only reason she'd turned back was because of the pain- not because she had any semblance of control and that terrified her. She was seconds away from shifting in _class _because of a person who was her _friend_. What would she do in front of someone she perceived as a threat? That was another thing- she didn't have any idea who any of the Hunters were and she doubted they'd be running around with a neon sign proclaiming 'I'm a Hunter!' over their heads. So by that logic _everyone_ was a threat.

That Lydia had threatened Scott with losing Allison just made the situation so much worse. She may not like the girl her brother was obviously falling for, but Scott was all for risking _his_ life if it meant getting the girl. What he refused to think about was what would happen to anyone else who'd been bitten (or borne for that matter) if _he_ was caught.

The shrill ring of the bell signaling the end of class disrupted her thought process. She needed to find her brother- she needed to convince him that playing on Saturday wasn't, in any way, an option. Sarah picked her stuff off the floor and headed towards Scott's locker. She was half way there when she spotted her partners in crime peaking around a corner at the bottom of a stair well.

Even at a distance she could hear Stiles' demanding voice clearly. "Tell me what they're saying. Can you hear them?"

"Shh." Scott hissed. "There's a curfew because of the body."

"Unbelievable." Stiles huffed. "My Dad's out looking for some rabid animal, while the jerk off who actually killed the girl is just hanging out doing whatever he wants."

Sarah scowled as she realized whom the two boys were whispering about. The man she was talking to last night, the one who had locked her up on the full moon so that she wouldn't attack anyone couldn't have killed the girl in the woods. It just wasn't _plausible. _

_Are you sure?_ Her mind whispered._ You don't even know him._

"Well you can't exactly tell your Dad the truth about Derek." Scott reasoned.

"I can do something." Stiles shot back.

Sarah swiftly walked up behind them. "Like what?" She demanded coldly.

"Nothing!" Stiles yelped. "Nothing at all _mi Hermana. _Hey." He lowered his volume. "Are you alright? Scott said you walked out of Math? You didn't shift did you?"

The brunette glared at her twin and shoved her hands deeper into her jacket pockets. "I'm fine. You should ask Scott why I left though- he should have a pretty good idea."

"I'm not going to play the game on Saturday if that's what you're implying." Scott muttered grumpily.

"Oh yeah?" Sarah asked sarcastically. "And how long is that resolve gonna last when Lydia starts introducing Allison to the rest of the single Lacrosse players? Huh? What are you going to do then?"

"Sare." Scott gripped her shoulders. "I can control this. One game won't hurt any-"

"You don't know that!"

"Sarah-"

"Shut up Stiles!" The brunette whirled on her friend. "Him playing won't effect you in the slightest so back off!"

"Why are you being so selfish?" Scott growled, ignoring the slightly hurt expression on Stiles' face.

"I'm being selfish?" Sarah laughed. "Yes because I'm the one playing around with both of our lives!" She gripped his elbow tightly and dragged him into the nearest classroom. Slamming the door behind her she let her brother go. "Scott, we don't even know who they are. The Hunters-" She sighed. "They could be anyone."

Scott rubbed the back of his neck. He knew _exactly_ who the Hunter's were. He knew exactly whom he had to avoid, to stay alive. But did he want to? The reasonable part of his mind screamed at him that he was being foolish- that he was walking a thin line that could snap at any moment- but he refused to give up on Allison, simply because of who her family was. It wasn't right. He was being selfish, he knew that, but Sarah- she could look after herself. She was strong. No matter what happened to him, she could survive. She would survive.

"You know who they are." Sarah breathed.

His guilty expression said everything she needed to know.

"Why didn't you tell me? Since when have we ever kept things from each other Scott? When did that become a thing that we did? Huh? When!" She yelled, hysteria and bitterness leaching into her voice.

"Sarah please…"

"Tell me who they are!" Sarah demanded, stepping forward she gabbed the front of Scott's shirt in a death grip. "Tell me Scott! Who are they?"

Scott shut his eyes. She was going to hate him. "The Argents." Sarah sucked in a startled gasp and dropped her grip. "The Hunter's are led by Allison's father."

"You've got to be fucking kidding me!" Sarah yelled. "She's the daughter of a _Hunter! _She was borne into a family that have been killing our kind for centuries- a family that now has us in their sights- and you're still seeing her? What the hell is wrong with you?"

"Nothing is wrong with me Sarah! Jesus! She's different-"

"Does she know?" The smaller brunette asked. "Does she know what we are? Huh?"

Scott shook his head.

"What do you think she'd do if you told her? I sure as hell doubt she'll smile and tell you she loves you! She'll run screaming to Daddy and he'll blow our fucking heads off! And if he doesn't then she sure as hell will!"

"You don't know that!" Scott snapped.

"Fine! Do whatever the fuck you want Scott! But when the rest of us are lying dead at your feet, remember what I told you."

The blue-eyed girl turned on her heel, wrenched the door open and stormed out into the crowded hallway, knocking an eavesdropping Stiles off his feet as he listened at the door.

"Where the hell are you going?" Scott yelled after her.

"None of your fucking business Scott!"

Scott sighed as held a hand out to his friend on the floor, Stiles grasped the offered hand tightly and tumbled as Scott pulled him off the floor with a bit more force than was necessary.

"She doesn't know about Derek does she?" Stiles muttered as he shouldered his backpack. "Cause I swear putting that bastard behind bars would solve a hell of a lot of problems."

Scott sighed. "It won't solve this one." Why was it that every time he and his sister were alone together these days, their conversations turned to full blown arguments. "I should have told her."

Stiles rolled his eyes. "Well you didn't and you fucked up. Okay? You fucked up."

"What's happening Stiles?" He mumbled.

The brown-eyed boy sighed. "All I have is a guess." Scott nodded for him to continue. "Well, since you were turned into wolves everything is heightened right? Your eyesight, your sense of smell, your hearing?" The brunet nodded again, understanding what Stiles had said so far. "What if your emotions were too? It'd explain why you're both so," he paused, searching for the right word, "volatile I guess. And, it'd explain why your feelings for Allison have gotten so strong so fast."

"Are you saying that my feelings for her aren't real?"

"No. No." Stiles shook his head. "They're real enough. But while most crushes take time to develop, yours hit you like a ton of bricks. I'm guessing that right now, Allison is the only girl in the world." He sighed, and wondered if he should even dare adding the next bit. "Even to the point where if you had to choose between Allison and Sare- you'd choose Allison."

* * *

Scott barely paid an attention in his next three classes. Stiles' frank words kept echoing through his mind. At first he'd completely dismissed it out of hand. There was no way he'd ever choose some _girl _over his sister. His twin! One of the two people in his life that had always, and would always be there for him, no matter what had happened. But the more he thought about it the more he realized that Stiles was right.

He had chosen Allison. By choosing to play the game on Saturday night, he'd chosen Allison. He inconspicuously hit his head on the table. He hadn't even realized. The fact that he's chosen to play, ignoring both the protests of Derek Hale and Sarah made him want to cringe. Why had he done that?

_Because if you don't you lose Allison _a voice in the back of his head whispered.

Scott sighed. It was a lose/lose situation. If he didn't play he'd lose Allison. If he did play he'd lose Sarah.

_Only if you shift, _the voice whispered again,_ only if you lose control._

By the time the bell rang signaling the end of the day he'd made his decision. He was going to play. No matter what she said, no matter how angry she got, Sarah would always be in his life. Eventually she'd forgive him. She'd have to. Right?

"Scott?"

The brunet jumped and realized that he had literally walked into one of the two girls that had been occupying his head. "Allison. Hey!" Over her shoulder Scott saw a smirking Lydia pulling away one of the boys on the Lacrosse team. "So Lydia's introducing you to everyone?"

"She's being so unbelievably nice to me." Allison grinned.

"Why?"

"Maybe she get's how much being the new girl sucks?" Allison shrugged, playing with the blazer in her arms. "Are you okay? I heard what happened with your sister."

Scott glanced at the floor. He had no doubt that the whole school had heard about the fight between the McCall twins. "It's fine." He whispered. "It wasn't important."

"It looked pretty important." She hedged.

"It was nothing. Drop it." Scott frowned as he noticed the jacket in her arms. How the hell had she gotten that? "Where did you get that?"

"My jacket?" Allison asked raising an eyebrow. She recognized the obvious change of subject- if he didn't want to talk about it that was fine with her, especially since her opinions of his sister were rather _low._ "It was in my locker. I think Lydia brought it back from the party. She knows the combination."

"Did she say she brought it back or did somebody give her the jacket?" Scott demanded. The only person who could have gotten that jacket was Derek. That bastard had been in the school stalking Allison! Suddenly, putting Derek behind bars seemed like a brilliant idea.

"Like who?" She questioned.

"Like Derek?" Scott demanded.

Allison frowned. "Your sister's friend? The one who gave me a lift home when you ditched me the other night?"

Scott cringed at the reminder. "They're not friends!" He sighed, noticing how harsh he sounded. "Yeah, that one."

The pale-girl stared at the brunet for a moment. "You didn't see them at the party did you?" She smirked. "They seemed a lot closer than _friends._ I highly doubt she ever gets that close to Stiles."

Scott's jaw dropped. "You're joking right." She shook her head. "Tell me you're joking Allison!" He pleaded.

"Scott what's wrong?"

"Nothings wrong damn it. How much did you talk to him when he drove you home?" Scott demanded once more.

"I didn't." Allison's eyes narrowed. "He seemed pretty preoccupied to be honest."

"What did you say?" Scott pressed.

The bell rang causing Allison to curse. "I've gotta go." She kissed his cheek. "We'll talk later yeah?" She yelled over her shoulder.

Scott scowled. Derek Hale was going down.

* * *

A loud knocking jarred Derek from his slumber. He'd been staying in one of the only rooms of the old house that hadn't been touched by the fire that had destroyed his life- the room that used to belong to his younger sister. Glancing out the window he spotted a familiar slim figure at the door. _What the hell is she doing here?_ He thought. Pulling on a shirt he swiftly made his way down the rickety stairs and opened the door to the somewhat shocked face of Sarah McCall.

"You knocked?" He leant against the door, blocking her entrance to the house.

"Did you kill her?" Sarah asked, refusing to let her voice shake- her false bravado faltered on the next sentence however as her eyes narrowed at the storm of emotions that crossed his face. "The girl in the woods, did you kill her?"

Derek sighed and stepped aside. "You better come in."

"So you can kill me too?" The brunette snapped. She'd trusted him! Was it possible that she could have been that wrong about a person?

He scowled. "No. So I can tell you the truth." He shook his head. "You know what. If you want answers I'll be upstairs. Come find me when you've stopped being stupid."

The raven-haired-man turned on his heel, stalked back up the stairs and into Cora's room. He didn't know why he cared so much about the younger girl's opinion- he barely knew her! He lay back on the mattress and rested his arm over his eyes. He was so messed up. So, so messed up. A hesitant knock on the doorframe caused him to look up.

"I didn't kill her."

Sarah nodded as she stopped in the doorway. Her curiosity had gotten the best of her and before she knew it her feet had led her upstairs. "But you knew who she was."

"I did." He pulled a photo from his wallet and placed it on the mattress beside him. "That was taken seven years ago."

The blue-eyed girl tentatively stepped forward and picked up the worn photo. She sat on the edge of the low mattress and studied the faces in the picture. Derek was obvious, especially so, as he was the only boy in the photo. The raven-hair and green eyes seemed to be a family trait as both the little girl on his shoulders, and the laughing girl at his side had hair and eyes that matched his. Even at fifteen Derek was obviously attractive- and the girls that she assumed were his sisters' could make any runway model green with envy. Another man- probably in his early twenties if she guessed right- rested his arm on the laughing girl's shoulder, a smirk on his face.

"They're your siblings."

He sat up and nodded. Leaning over he pointed to the little girl on his shoulders. "This is Cora. She was nine." He took a deep breath. "This is Peter."

"Brother?"

Derek shook his head, "Uncle. He's been in a coma since the fire." He smiled sadly. "And this is Laura. She uh- we were at School when the fire- we were the only one's left. Laura and I, we looked after each other. She's-" He swallowed tightly and whispered his next sentence. "She was the girl in the woods."

Sarah ducked her head. She couldn't have been more wrong! Guilt flooded her body. She'd accused him of killing his sister. His _sister._ "I'm so sorry."

"Don't be." He clenched his fists. "All this- the fire, Laura's death- it was my fault. I was young and stupid. I got involved in things- with people- that I shouldn't have and I caused this."

"Just because you blame yourself for their deaths', does not make you responsible." She whispered.

"And what would you call sleeping with the woman responsible?" Derek snapped. The words slipped out before he could stop them, but there was no turning back now. "What would you call telling a person _everything_ about your family, right down to the deepest, darkest secrets that should have stayed hidden? I think I'd call that _responsible_."

"You loved her. The woman. You loved her. And because you loved her, you trusted her." Sarah whispered, taking his hand. The fact that he believed, so deeply, that he had killed his own family, made her want to both hug him and hit him at the same time. "She abused the trust you placed in her. That doesn't make you responsible- it just makes you human."

"Human." Derek muttered. "Now, that's a joke if I've ever heard one."

"Do you-" She bit her lip, searching for the right words. "Do you know who killed Laura?"

"All I know is that she was lured back here and turned up dead three days later. The only thing that makes sense is that the _thing_ that killed her was the same monster that turned you and your brother."

"How do you-"

He sighed. "Laura was an Alpha- a power that she'd inherited when our mother died. The werewolf line in Beacon Hills ended with us but even then Beacon Hills would remain Hale territory. If Laura had bitten you I would have known. I would have felt the addition to our pack- and I didn't. All I felt was loss and a shift of power."

"So not everyone is an Alpha? It's either inherited or _taken?_"

Derek nodded. "At the moment you and I are what's called Omegas. We don't have a pack- and to be perfectly honest that is a dangerous position to be in. I'm an Omega because my Alpha was killed, you are, because you were forcefully turned and haven't decided to join your Alpha's pack. Those of us who have a pack are called Betas. Betas' give power to their Alpha- together, a pack is more powerful than you can imagine."

Sarah stared down at her hands. "Can you form a pack without an Alpha?"

"What do you mean?"

"Scott and I- he's my brother. He's family. He's my _pack_." She whispered.

He smiled sadly. "It's possible." He let go of her hand and rolled his shoulders back trying to relieve some of the tension that rested there. "The thing is pack doesn't always mean family- you don't have to be family to be part of a pack. You just have to submit."

"I'll never submit to that monster." The brunette growled anger surging through her veins at the thought of joining the thing that turned her.

Derek smirked. "I have no doubt that you'll put up a hell of a fight. Your brother, your friends- they're lucky to have you."

Sarah nodded. "I'm lucky to have them. They'll keep me human. They'll keep me from turning into _that._"

"You're not human. Not anymore." He shook his head. "But you're right. With them you'll keep your humanity."

"We're _still _human Derek. You may not see it anymore- but we are still human, we still breathe, our hearts still beat despite being-" Sarah glanced down at her hands. "What we ar-"

Derek abruptly clapped a calloused hand over the brunette's mouth, unbalancing them both enough that they tipped backwards onto the bed. Derek stared down at the girl beneath him, uncomfortably aware of how close they were. For those few, heavenly seconds every part of her body was pressed against his own. Suddenly every objection he had flew out the window and every part of him _wanted her._

"Derek!"

Sarah stiffened at the sound of her brother's voice. The older man slowly removed his hand from her mouth, trusting that she wouldn't get him in even more trouble. 'Stay here.' The brunette nodded. She sure as hell wasn't going anywhere. Her cobalt eyes followed Derek as he smoothly got up off the bed and pulled on his shoes- she hadn't even noticed they'd fallen off.

"Derek!" The anger in her brother's voice was almost palpable. "Stay away from them! You hear me? Stay away from them!"

"What if I don't? What if they come to me? Huh? What are you going to then Scott?"

"Sarah doesn't need your help! I can protect her! I can protect both of them!"

Sarah scowled. The last thing she wanted was Scott speaking for her- especially when he was making the wrong decisions.

"No, you can't." Derek snapped. You think your little buddy Stiles can just, Google werewolves and now you've got all the answers is that it? You don't know it yet Scott but I'm looking out for you. Think about what could happen. You're out on the field. The aggression takes over and you shift. In front of everyone." Sarah held her breath. "Your Mum- all of your friends- the Hunters. When they see you everything will fall apart."

The dull shred of canvas echoed in her ears- as quiet as possible she risked a glance out of the window and saw Derek, his hand shifted into claws had ripped through the netting of Scott's beloved Lacrosse stick.

"It's not just you on the line here Scott. It's me- it's your sister. If someone sees you shift it's not that much of a leap to think your sister will too."

Derek threw the stick into the air and was gone. Somehow the brunette wasn't surprised to find him behind her seconds later, pulling her away from the window and back against one of the walls. The two werewolves stood chest to chest- just breathing softly until they could no longer hear the wheel's of Scott's bike or the crunching of leaves. All they could hear were the steady beating of their hearts.

"How'd you do that?" Sarah breathed.

Derek stared down at her, once again aware of how close they were. "Partial shift- eyes and hands- the speed and strength is always there but shifting the eyes and nails somehow taps into it."

"You don't want him to play the game on Saturday."

He cocked his head to the side. "Do you?"

She shook her head. "Definitely not."

"Good." Derek replied as he stepped away from her.

Sarah nervously asked the next question. "Will you teach me?"

* * *

The Saturday morning before the game saw Sarah sitting on her bed, staring at her laptop screen, hoping that the English essay would write itself. There were so many other things going through her mind- that no matter how hard she tried she just couldn't concentrate on school. Which was probably a bad thing since her grade point average was at least a 4.1. She'd worked hard for every one of those A's and now her prefect GPA was going to slip because she couldn't get her mind off the bloody werewolves!

"You know-" A voice drawled from the doorway, "glaring at your precious laptop won't start that essay."

Sarah whirled around so quickly she was surprised she hadn't gotten whiplash. "Erica?" She shouted.

"Hola chica!" The blonde squealed with laughter as she was jumped on by her excited best friend. Sarah, misjudging her newfound strength sent the two of them tumbling to the ground in a mess of limbs. Giggles echoed through the room as the two girls hugged tightly. "I missed you!"

"I missed you too Eri!" Sarah laughed as she disentangled herself from the blonde and sat upright. "When did you get back?"

"This morning." Erica grinned. "Mum let me go- she got called to the station fifteen minutes ago and dropped me here."

The brunette rolled her eyes. "Nice to see everything with your Mum is completely back to normal."

Erica sighed. "Apparently a month long holiday in Australia can't even fix that much." The blonde stood up and started searching through Sarah's closet. "First things first what have I missed and what are we wearing tonight?"

The blue-eyed girl grinned and bounced over to the closet. "Didn't you buy anything new in Australia?"

"Well yes, but that's all at my house and we're at your house so we're wearing your clothes."

Sarah rolled her eyes. It had always astounded her how different Erica acted when it was just them, and when she was around anyone else. When it was just the two of them, even her walk said she could take on the world single-handed and come out on top. However as soon as she stepped foot onto the School grounds every single drop of confidence leached out of her and suddenly she was a timid, quiet, scrap of the sixteen year old bombshell she was at home. If it wasn't for Sarah who stuck by her side no matter what people said- it was likely that Erica would have faded into the background.

"In that case," Sarah smiled, "You need to wear these." She pulled out a pair of shiny black skinny jeans. Erica gulped nervously. While her and Sarah were practically the same size, she knew the brunette had bought these jeans specifically for her. The hazel-eyed girl slipped them on and gaped at her reflection in the mirror. The jeans clung to her legs like a second skin- she couldn't wear these. Not in public. There was no way.

"I can't wear these."

"Ah, yes you can." Sarah responded.

Erica shook her head quickly. "I can't wear these Sarah. What if-" she looked down. "What if-"

"You won't. And if you do…" Sarah took her hands. "I'll be with you the whole time."

The blonde nodded uncertainly. Turning back to the mirror she sighed. What had she done to deserve a friend like Sarah? Perhaps she did something great in a past life? Erica smiled and shook her head. Her eyes swept the room. Not much had changed in the month she'd been gone- everything was still in the same place, well almost everything. Her hazel eyes lingered on a black leather jacket that was folded innocently on the window seat.

Erica crossed the room quickly and picked it up, holding it out curiously in front of her. Sarah's eyes widened. Derek's jacket! She'd totally forgotten about it and now she was going to have to explain to Erica how she'd gotten it and who, she'd gotten it from.

"I think there's something you've forgotten to tell me S." Erica smirked as she inspected the jacket.

"I- uh- well. It belongs to a friend." Sarah stuttered.

Erica's eyes glinted with mirth. "A friend huh? Well it's not Stiles- obviously, he wears hoodies and blazers, not leather jackets- and it's not Danny's, so this friend must be someone I haven't met yet."

The brunette transferred her weight from one foot to the other nervously. "It belongs to someone I met recently- do you remember the Hale fire about six years ago?"

The hazel-eyed girl nodded. "Yeah, Mum worked that case for months- they never found who did it." Erica lowered her voice. "There's been rumors of Arson for years though. I think she wants to push to reopen it. Why?"

Sarah sighed. "Because that jacket belongs to Derek Hale."

The jacket fell to the floor.

"Erica?" Sarah asked nervously as she saw the frozen face of her best friend. "Erica, what's wrong."

"My Mum." The blonde started. "She was- um- she was called to the station."

"I know Eri. You told me." The brunette replied quickly.

"No you don't understand! Sarah she was called to the station to interrogate someone suspected of Murder! I overheard her on the phone! Sare, she was called to interrogate Derek Hale."

Sarah's cobalt eyes flashed golden casing Erica to yelp and jump backwards, crashing into the closed wardrobe door. Sarah growled, ignoring the crash, as she realized why Derek had been put in jail. _Scott._ He wanted to play the damn Lacrosse game so desperately that he'd gotten Derek, the only one who could help control them when they shifted, put in jail. She looked up, staring directly into the terrified eyes of her best friend.

This was not how she wanted Erica to find out. The brunette crashed to her knees as the pain of the shift and the fight against the primal instincts of the wolf inside of her overwhelmed her. Clenching her teeth together she gasped as her now razor sharp canines pierced her bottom lip.

"Sarah!" Erica shouted as blood leaked down the normally blue-eyed girl's chin. She quickly knelt beside her and tried to get the out of control teen to look at her. Sarah growled and grasped Erica's throat tightly before she even knew what was happening. The blonde choked. "S-ar-" She gasped.

Sarah dropped her in shock, scrambled to her feet and bolted to her bathroom, slamming the door behind her. Falling to the floor once more she tried to focus on the advice Derek had given her earlier- but all she could think of was the terrified face of her best friend. She could have killed her best friend! She hadn't even noticed until Erica had gasped. She wouldn't be able live with herself if she killed one of the people that meant the most to her! What if she didn't realize next time? She had no control and the death of a friend seemed closer than ever.

Erica fell to the floor, gasping as air returned to her lungs. Her best friend had just tried to kill her. Her mind was racing- whatever had just happened- the brunette wasn't in control of what was happening- was she? One thought kept passing through her whirring mind_. Sarah was dangerous_.

Every instinct screamed at her to run- that if she stayed here, she wouldn't last the night. But despite all of that- Sarah was still her best friend. "Sarah?" She called nervously through the bathroom door. She steeled her nerves and shoved the terror to the back of her mind. That girl in there was still her best friend. She was sure of it. "Sarah! Open up! Open the damn door god damnit! Open the fucking door and let me help!"

"You- can't" Sarah growled. "I'll hurt you again." Her voice was deeper, more animalistic- it was the first time she'd ever heard her voice in her wolf form. Remembering what had happened in the bathroom Sarah clenched her fists- she screamed as her claws pierced her skin.

"Sarah! Jesus Christ Sarah let me in!" The scream of pain chilled Erica's blood and effectively quelled any lingering fear she had of the brunette. She threw her weight against the door- her shoulder seared in pain as the door was rammed open. She'd broken the lock- a feat that wasn't unprecedented in the McCall household. Her eyes widened at the sight of the blood on the floor and her bloody and shivering best friend. "Oh Sare."

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry."

The mantra continued as Erica gently pulled her friend upright and pushed her into the shower. The blonde peeled off Sarah's singlet- the bloody girl raised her hands above her head obediently, she suddenly seemed so much smaller- vulnerable even. It was a rather shocking contrast from the monster she'd been minutes before. Her sweat pants were easier, only requiring her to step out of them leaving her only in her underwear. Erica turned on the taps and attempted to wash away the blood that still stained the brunette.

Sarah's whispered apologies continued as the blonde pulled her out of the shower and wrapped a towel tightly around her. Erica led the brunette back into her room and quickly grabbed the closest item of clothing and wrapped it around her friend. Too late, she realized that Sarah was now wrapped in Derek's leather jacket. Surprisingly the jacket comforted the brunette more than Erica's calming presence.

Erica sighed as she knelt in front of her best friend. "What happened Sare?"

The girl shuddered. "I didn't mean to. I swear I didn't mean to!"

"I know."

"I promise I didn't mean to- you've got to believe me Erica." Sarah pleaded with the blonde on the floor, grasping her hands tightly.

Erica sighed as she sat back on her heels. "I don't know what to believe Sare." She pulled her hands from Sarah's grip and clasped them together in her lap. "What _happened_ to you? You're not the same girl I left behind."

"I'm still me." The brunette whispered. "I'm still the same girl_._"

"No," Erica shook her head vehemently. "You're not. The girl I left behind, the girl that is my best friend would never have tried to strangle me. You're not _her_. So _what _are you_?"_

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you."

"Try me."

Sarah closed her eyes. It was now or never. Either her best friend would believe her or run away screaming. "I- I'm a werewolf." She said in a rush.

The blonde's hazel eyes widened almost comically. "What?" She spluttered.

"The night before school, Stiles had the bright idea to go out to the woods in search of the other half of the body- John caught him and we were left alone in the woods- Scott lost his inhaler- we were looking for it. We'd been in those woods plenty of times- we didn't expect- the monster it-" She shuddered, "It _bit_ me. I almost died."

Erica stared at her best friend- lost for words. It sounded so unbelievable- a story so removed from reality that it couldn't possibly be true. She stiffened as she remembered the fierce golden eyes of the girl across from her. She glanced back at the bloodstained bathroom floor and remembered how that blood had gotten there. It was unreal and yet the proof was right in front of her.

"How did you…?"

"Survive?" She muttered shaking her head. Surviving was still hard for her to grasp. "Derek Hale."

"Arrested for murder, being interrogated by my Mother, Derek Hale?" Erica asked slowly.

Sarah grinned wryly and pulled the Jacket tighter around her body. "One and the same."

"Jesus Sarah." The blonde stood up and ran her hands through her hair. "What the hell have you gotten yourself into? That guy is dangerous! He was just arrested for murder damn it!"

"He's innocent. The body in the woods was his sister Laura." Sarah explained quickly. "I don't know what happened or how he got arrested but I can guarantee that it had something to do with Scott and Stiles."

"Your brother?" Erica yelped. "Scott's involved in this? Is he a- a-"

"A werewolf?" The brunette supplied nervously. "Yeah, he is."

The hazel-eyed girl sat down heavily on the windowsill. "Fuck." She rubbed her neck absently. "Can he do the- uh- claw thing?" Sarah nodded. "Fuck." Erica repeated.

The two girls froze as a door slammed loudly downstairs. "Sarah honey? You here?"

Sarah's eyes widened. "I'm upstairs!" She shouted back. Erica sprinted across the room and awkwardly pulled the en suite door shut, while Sarah quickly pulled on a random pair of jeans and a t-shirt from her cupboard.

"Hey kiddo." Melissa smiled as she appeared in the doorway. Her eyes quickly found Erica and her smile widened. "Erica sweetheart! You're home!" The older woman opened her arms for a hug and wasn't surprised when Erica shot into them. Melissa had become a surrogate mother of a sort to both Erica and Stiles- Erica due to her strained and frankly, neglectful relationship with her absentee mother and Stiles, because of Claudia's death. "Did you enjoy your trip?"

All three women in the room knew what Melissa was really asking. 'Did she treat you right?'

Erica smiled. "Yeah it was fine."

Melissa nodded and eyed her haphazardly clothed daughter over the Blonde's shoulder. "Scott's game starts in half an hour girls and Sarah Anne, I do not care how angry you are at your brother, you are going to the game. So rug up and be downstairs in fifteen minutes!"

The older brunette smiled as Sarah nodded. She turned on her heel with a wave and left the two girls to their own devices.

Erica turned to Sarah as soon as Melissa left, her shoulders stiff and her eyes blazing. "On a scale of one to ten, how dangerous will Scott playing this game be?"

Sarah bit her lip. "Eleven."

* * *

"Are you going to try and convince me not to play?" Scott asked as he looked up at his friend.

Stiles sighed and shook his head. "I just hope you know what you're doing."

"If I don't play I lose first line and Allison." The brunet groaned.

"Yeah," Stiles started, "but if you do play you risk losing a whole lot more than that." Stiles' voice dropped to an aggravated hiss. "You're risking your life and Sarah's life. This is a bad idea."

Scott glared at him.

"Don't glare at me Scott! I went along with this idea because I thought Derek was guilty! I still don't think you should play- Allison isn't going anywhere! This is one game that you really don't need to play."

"I wanna play!" Scott yelled. "I want to be on the team, I want to go out with Allison. I want a semi fricking normal life. Do you get that? I know I can control this. I know I can. I'd never do anything that would put my sister in danger. Never."

Stiles looked down. Maybe Scott didn't realize that he already _had. _"I get it." He sighed. "But someday you'll turn around and realize you lost everything because of one girl."

Scott's pointed lack of a response prompted Stiles to pick up his Lacrosse gear and wander out to the field. Sullenly joining the few members of the team that were waiting on the benches, his eyes swept the crowd, searching for the cobalt blue of his best friend. Raising his arm in hello when he spotted the familiar heads of brunette hair he walked over to them, dodging through the crowd with ease. Stiles smiled tightly as he spotted Erica at Sarah's side- he wondered vaguely if Sarah had told her- so much had changed since she'd left and if Sarah hadn't said anything it was going to be awkward as hell to avoid conversations about werewolves. Especially since it was what most of their conversations revolved around these days.

"Hey gorgeous!" He smiled as he wrapped the blonde in a tight hug, pushing those thoughts to the back of his mind.

"Stiles!" She laughed and hugged him back with just as much enthusiasm.

Stiles' brown eyes narrowed as he caught a glimpse of darkened skin that peaked out of the scarf around Erica's neck. He turned a questioning glance to Sarah who hung her head guiltily. His eyes widened. _Sarah had caused that._

Erica adjusted the scarf and took Stiles' hand. "I'm fine." She glanced at the guilty brunette beside her and slipped her other arm around her waist. "Sarah and I- we uh- had a little misunderstanding."

"I almost killed you." Sarah whispered hotly, her eyes shining as she pulled away from Erica's grip.

Stiles touched her chin softly. "Hey, Eri's fine sorellina."

Erica nodded. "If you really wanted to kill me I have no doubt that I would be dead."

"Oh yes, because that makes it so much better." Sarah growled as she clutched the jacket in her hands closer to her chest. She'd been intending to leave it at home, but Erica's swift glare had prevented that. The blonde had muttered something about reassurance and refused to leave the room until Sarah picked up the jacket.

"You're right, it doesn't." Erica agreed, shocking both of her friends. "But my forgiveness does."

Stiles smiled. "We love you. No matter how hairy you get."

His comment effectively broke the tension, causing the two girls to giggle as Melissa rejoined the group. "Shouldn't you be getting ready Stiles?"

Stiles eyes widened as he realized the game was seconds from starting. "Yep!" He yelped and raced off without so much as a goodbye to the small group.

The whistle blew loudly and the team jogged onto the field to the sound of the crowd's cheers. Erica pulled the jittery brunette down onto the seat beside her- despite the full forgiveness she'd given her friend, she was still wary of Sarah's now fiery temper. The blonde watched nervously as Jackson easily flattened Scott, out of the corner of her eye she saw her best friends' fists clench and thankfully that was the only outward change to the brunette's appearance.

Sarah's eyes followed Scott as he raced up and down the field. She could feel the change in the air and knew with out a doubt that her brother was fighting for control of the shift. Turning in her seat she scanned the crowd, her cobalt eyes searching for any sign of the Argents. Her eyes narrowed as she spotted Lydia smirking as she forced Allison to hold up a sign sporting Jackson's name. Sarah rolled her eyes at the strawberry blonde's antics. In typical Lydia fashion, she'd gotten exactly what she wanted- and made sure other's got their share as well. Despite her reputation, no one would call Lydia Martin selfish. Well, maybe a little.

But it was the clean-shaven man beside Allison that truly caught her attention. At first glance, he seemed completely inconspicuous however as she looked closer she saw there was nothing even remotely casual about him. Everything from the way he sat, to the way his eyes suspiciously darted between the players on the field caused alarm bells to ring loudly in her head. Sarah turned her head back to the field slowly- aware of the way his dark eyes followed the movement before moving on.

"Are you okay?" Erica whispered loudly.

Sarah nodded. "Yeah. Yeah I'm fine."

Erica wasn't entirely convinced by Sarah's reply but let the conversation rest as she turned her attention back to the game. Her jaw dropped as the opposing player that Scott had stopped in front of hurriedly passed him the ball. Melissa turned to the two girls in shock.

"Did he just-"

"I think so." Erica mumbled as she clamped a hand down on Sarah's bouncing knee, stopping the constant clanging of the bench beneath them.

"Sorry." The brunette muttered her cobalt eyes glued to her brother's back as he threw the ball straight through the goalies' racket just as the final siren sounded. "Damn it Scott." She growled as Scott raced off the field.

Erica linked their arms together. "Should we go after him?"

"No." Sarah shook her head, hearing the subtle undertones of fear in Erica's voice. Her eyes followed the slim form of Stiles as he sprinted towards the locker rooms. "Stiles has it under control." Her eyes scanned the crowd quickly, darting from face to face, looking, searching, for any sign that someone had noticed Scott's shift. The crowd was still milling about, slowly growing smaller as people lingered to congratulate players and parents searched for their kids. She hoped that any Hunters in the crowd wouldn't want to risk being sent to jail by attacking either her or Scott, but that didn't exactly guarantee her safety anywhere else.

She sighed in relief as Stiles jogged back onto the field unharmed. He flashed a thumbs up in her direction, causing her to relax slightly. He started towards the two girls, but stopped as his phone began to ring. Her newly sensitive hearing picked up the conversation as easily as though he was standing beside her.

_"Dad? What's wrong?" Stiles worriedly asked._

_"The medical examiner looked at the other half of the body. They found traces of Animal hairs. We got the wrong man."_

"_What?" Stiles exclaimed loudly._

Erica turned in his direction after she heard is horrified exclamation, she pointed at him in confusion. "What happened?"

"They're letting him go." The brunette whispered as she held up the jacket. "He was released from police custody fifteen minutes ago- Scott will not be pleased." She muttered.

Erica nodded, "And neither is Stiles apparently. He looks pissed."

Sarah shrugged. "Not much we can do about that." She looked around again, this time for her Mum. It seemed that any Hunter's in the crowd hadn't seen anything they classified as suspicious- but that didn't mean it was safe for any of them to let their guards down. "I don't think anyone noticed Eri, we should be right to…" She trailed off as she spotted a familiar figure at the edge of parking lot, resting against a shiny black car.

Erica turned in the direction her friend was facing, her mouth dropping in a perfect 'o' as she too, spotted the imposing figure. "Is that-"

"Uhhuh." Nodded Sarah.

"He's gorgeous." The blonde muttered with a sly grin.

The brunette turned to her friend. "He can hear you."

"You mean he's-"

"Yes." The blue-eyed girl replied. "I should-"

Erica smirked. "Go talk to him? Yes you should." She leaned forward to whisper in her ear. "And then you'll call me and tell me everything." The significant stare she shot the brunette spoke volumes and suddenly nothing more needed to be said.

"You're crazy." Sarah laughed. "But yes, I'll call you."

The blonde stepped up and hugged her tightly. "See you tomorrow S."

Sarah nodded and watched for a few seconds longer as Erica walked off towards Stiles, no doubt intending to ask for a ride home. She shook her head and walked towards the parking lot. He still looked good, despite his little stint in jail- part of her wanted to hate him a little bit, she never looked so composed.

"You're friend is interesting." He said by way of a greeting.

The brunette shook her head. "You have no idea." She smirked. "You look pretty good for a guy just getting out of jail."

Derek scowled. "No thanks to your brother and his friend." He eyed the field. "He was lucky tonight."

"He was stupid."

"So were you." He glanced over his shoulder at the two people getting into the old blue Jeep parked not far from where they were standing by his car. "She hid the bruises well, but not well enough. I'm right to assume that that was you?"

Sarah clutched the jacket in her arms tighter. "Yes." She ground out.

"She forgave you."

"She shouldn't have." Mumbled the blue-eyed girl. "I almost killed her."

Derek shook his head. "If you wanted to kill her she'd be dead. You have more control than you realize."

"But it's not enough!" Sarah growled.

He reached out and gripped her shoulders. "It's enough for now. Control will come with time."

Sarah sighed and changed the subject. She held out the leather jacket. "This is yours."

Derek dropped his arms from her shoulders and took the offered jacket, accepting her attempt to change the subject. "It is." He turned the jacket over in his hands. He stared down at it. Did he really want it back? A part of him did. But the other half wanted to see her in it again. He didn't think as he stepped forward, close enough that they were chest to chest and wrapped the jacket around her shoulders. If he were going down this road then at least he'd do it right. "Keep it. It looked better on you anyway."

"I-" She looked up at him. She knew she was stepping into dangerous territory by accepting the jacket, but the idea of the dangerous stranger was so appealing. The idea of _Derek Hale_ was appealing and more than half of her craved the idea of having him all to her self. "Thank you." As she shoved her arms into the sleeves she shook those thoughts out of her mind. It would never work- not matter how much she wished it to. Whatever they had was a passing fancy. It would pass. _Right?_

He nodded and handed her a small slip of paper. "If you need any help." He shrugged and stepped into his car. Revving the engine loudly he smirked at her and sped out of the parking lot, without so much as a goodbye.

Sarah glanced down at the paper in her hands. Ten digits. _A phone number?_ She grinned and shoved her hands into the pockets of the overly large jacket as she walked towards her Mum's car. Derek Hale had given her his phone number. And she hadn't even had to ask.

* * *

**I hope you enjoyed this Chapter. Please, Review, Favourite or Follow! I like hearing your opinions and ideas! **

**~HN**


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